Nighttime Demons
by Ascot no miko
Summary: “It was a warning. A warning. There won’t be one next time.” - Strange things are happening at GOA, but no one knows exactly what. Except, possibly, the one person who would never tell... (3.25.04 :: Part 4 Added)
1. Prologue

_  
**Notes**: Hey, a Megami Kouhosei fic! ^__^; And sorry to disappoint the majority of you, but this fic isn't about the growing relationship between either Garu and Ernest or Zero and _____. Nor is it an Erts fic. Sorry. I'm actively against the norm. My bad. Also, the way I figure it, Yu calls Rio , while Rio doesn't use any suffixes at all. I don't know this for a fact, so if any of you have actually seen the Japanese version and know that I'm wrong, please tell me. Until then, I'll go with that arrangment. (I'll talk about the other Pilot's later, but they aren't in this part, so it doesn't matter that much. ^_^;;)  
  
**Genre**: Action/Adventure - Drama - Fantasy - Supernatural  
  
**Main Characters**: Rio, Yu, other Pilots, possibly the Candidates as well, but I haven't decided yet.  
  
**Couplings**: Hintings of Ernest x Garu, possibly some Rio x Yu. (^_^; My favorite, albeit completely pointless, coupling!)  
  
**Disclaimer**: A-chan: I plead the fifth.  
  
Congress: All right, then, we hold you in contempt of court!   
  
A-chan: WHAT?! Where does it say THAT in the constitution?!  
  
Congress: It doesn't. But they did it in the 50s, so we can do it here. Oh, yeah, we're also going to put you on a 20 year long blacklist.  
  
A-chan: .... *twitch* You DO know that everyone of the Hollywood 10 and others that were blacklisted were freed of all charges and personally amended by the government for it's stupidity, right?  
  
Congress: That's meaningless right now. Come along...  
  
A-chan: Nooooo! THIS IS UNJUST! *men come to take her away* You stupid idiots! I HATE THIS COUNTRY~~~!  
  
Congress: Ack! It's worse than we thought! She's a Russian spy!  
  
A-chan: We're not at war with Russia anymore you BLOODY MORON--! *gets dragged away*  
  
~This strange and slightly amusing disclaimer was inspired by U.S. History class and the self-proclaimed Ihrig-sama. All shall bow. ^__^  
_  
  
**_Prologue_**  
  
It was late, and Rio couldn't sleep.  
  
He tossed and turned on his bed, twisting this way and that, but it was to no avail. No matter how much he tried, he just couldn't get comfortable. He had gone to bed over an hour ago, and still, he wasn't asleep. It wasn't that he wasn't tired (in fact, his eyes seemed to be weighted down with lead), but for some reason, his mind just wouldn't quit. It kept whirring around in his head, thinking about everything from why his Ingrid was yellow to what the candidates did on break. Every attempt he had to get to sleep was futile.  
  
Rio opened his eyes, annoyed at the idea of not getting any rest. His sight had long since become adjusted to the dark, and he could see with startling clarity the outlines of his dresser, desk, and bookstand - all of which were standard issue in the GOA dorm rooms. Clothes and other assorted items were strewn around the room as well, which was a result of his laziness the previous day. The pilots had been given a free period in which to clean their rooms, but Rio had spent the time eating an after-lunch snack with Garu and reading a comic book.  
  
But that really didn't matter. What mattered was that he couldn't sleep.  
  
Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep... Rio muttered under his breath, repeating the chant in hopes that it would somehow make sleep come to him. He closed his eyes, desperately praying, but it was proven as useless as everything else he had tried. He opened his eyes again, growling, Why can't I freakin' sleep?  
  
His question went unanswered, and Rio gave an exasperated sigh, falling back onto his bed. It was so not fair for this to be happening to him. After all, he always worked extra hard in training just so that he wouldn't have so much spare energy at the end of the day. It had been a problem when he was a candidate, so Rio had learned early on that he needed to exhaust himself if he hoped to get a decent amount of sleep. Apparently, though, it wasn't working now.  
  
This sucks. he murmured softly, and opened his eyes once again. Propping himself up on his elbows, Rio blearily looked around the room. After a few moments, his eyes focused on the faint outline of the door, and Rio grinned. That's it. I'll take a walk.  
  
Cheerfully ignoring the small voice in his head that muttered a sarcastic remark about crazy people who talk to themselves, Rio jumped up and pulled on a pair of loose sweatpants. He was glad that he wasn't required to wear his pilot uniform during the night (Victim attacks rarely came at night, and even then, it was rare that the attacks would be so fierce as to prevent the pilots from quickly changing.) He tied the pants up and grabbed a worn sweatshirt from the ground. It was often cold on GOA during the night, and Rio would be damned if he was going to freeze his butt off.  
  
Opening the door, Rio winced slightly at the bright (though dimmer than usual, due to the nighttime) lights, and waited for a moment so that his eyes could adjust. He began to walk away from his room, aimlessly wandering. It was quiet in the hall, almost eerily so, and Rio found himself trying not to make any sudden noises - something that was nearly impossible for him to achieve. He was Rio - sudden noises was his , as Garu had so eloquently put it one day.  
  
Rio smirked; a while back, Garu had decided to overanalyze every one of the pilots, from their stats to what their favorite color was. Rio knew that his information had probably been the easiest for Garu to acquire, because of his open natured personality. In comparison, it was _still_ a contest between Yu and Teela for the hardest. Yu, because of his obvious, silent reasons, and Teela because she never, ever replied to a question with a direct answer. Personally, Rio was voting for Teela for the title of most difficult, because he knew that Garu could interview Teela all day and never get a straight response from the only female pilot. Yu, on the other hand, would eventually give Garu an answer, but only after Garu badgered and prodded him for _ages_ - which was why Garu still didn't have any information on Yu, either. The green-haired boy just didn't have enough forbearance for that.  
  
Though, it _had_ been extremely funny to watch Garu try. With his short temper, Garu would only bother being nice to Yu for about five minutes before exploding and trying to beat the information out of him. In which case, Ernest would step in, calm Garu down and prevent Yu from retaliating against the green-haired boy. It usually ended up with Garu ranting to Ernest in a corner about Yu's utter silence, while Yu walked away from wherever they were and... did something else for awhile. No one really knew where Yu went when he got irritated, just that he would disappear for a short period of time and then mysteriously reappear for lunch or training or whatnot.  
  
Rio yawned, breaking away from his reminiscing. Looking around, he was surprised to see that his feet had inadvertently brought him to the dock of the Ingrids. In fact, the first thing he saw when he looked up was the familiar form of Agui-Keameia. He smiled, and murmured softly, Agui-Keameia. Why have you brought me here?  
  
There was no answer, and Rio shrugged. Talking to his Ingrid was something that soothed him, mainly, and he knew for a fact that he wasn't the only one who did so. Garu did, he knew, and so did Ernest. Yu probably didn't do it outloud, and Rio didn't know what to think about Teela. In any case, it wasn't considered all that strange for a pilot to be caught talking to his or her Ingrid. And especially now, since he was alone and it was late, Rio felt safe in speaking to her.  
  
Her. Agui-Keameia. _His_ Ingrid.  
  
Rio smiled.  
  
Suddenly, Rio felt something on his mind. A nagging feeling, like he was being watched, but not so blatant... Rio frowned, tearing his gaze away from his Ingrid and looking around, not liking the creeping suspicion that he wasn't alone on the docks. His eyes darting around cautiously, Rio caught sight of a dark shape in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall...  
  
It was Yu.  
  
Almost immediately, the eerie premonition of fear subsided, and Rio breathed an almost audible sigh of relief. Yu hadn't even been looking at him, really - or at least he wasn't now. The dark-haired pilot was standing in front of his own Ingrid, Tellia-Kallisto, but he was looking at the ground. In any case, Rio was glad that it was Yu, after all. If it had been any of the other pilots, Rio was sure that they would have hassled him about being out of bed or something. Even Teela, he was sure of it. But one thing about Yu Hikura was this: he kept to himself. Unless someone else approached him, Yu wasn't about to involve himself in another's life - unless he had to, in which he would do a little as he deemed necessary.  
  
Strangely enough, Rio found himself moving towards Yu. He was curious as to why the smaller boy was up so late, and truthfully, he would feel stupid just standing there, looking at his Ingrid and not talking to Yu at all. Even if Yu didn't really care all that much, Rio wasn't the type of person to ignore others.  
  
Hey, Yu, Rio greeted as he came closer to the brown-haired boy, a smile on his face. What's up?  
  
Yu looked over at his fellow pilot, raising an eyebrow in greeting, but saying nothing. Rio rolled his eyes.  
  
Okay, c'mon, I'm the only one here. D'ya suppose that you could talk to me audibly? Just this once? Rio asked, yawning. I mean, I'm tired. I can't sleep, but I'm still tired and considering that I can't decipher your little face-things when I'm wide awake, it's going to be really hard for me to do it now. Actually speaking to me would work so much better.  
  
Yu's expression was hard to read, but Rio detected a faint hint of amusement from his eyes. The younger pilot uncrossed his arms and turned to face Rio uncharacteristically, causing Rio to shift nervously. The fact that he didn't know what Yu was thinking bothered him.  
  
  
  
Rio's eyes widened considerably. Not only had Yu actually shown a little bit of facial expression, he was actually speaking to him. And it was Yu, who had barely said a total of ten words to Rio during the entire time they had been pilots together. Needless to say, the fact that Yu had just agreed to proceed in an actual, speaking conversation with him was slightly amazing. As in, the eighth wonder of the new world amazing. In fact, it was so astonishing that Rio couldn't help but try and clarify that it was true.  
  
Are you serious? Rio asked, eyes growing wide and leaning forward to scan Yu's face for hints of mockery.   
  
Yu raised an eyebrow, his face blank.   
  
Rio tilted his head to the side and scrutinized Yu for a moment before erupting in a large grin. Cool! That means that I'll finally be able to see if you really are human!  
  
Yu's eyes narrowed, looking a bit disgruntled at the blunt comment, but he said nothing in reply. A small smile appeared on his face, faint but apparent, and he responded, Yes, Rioroute-san, I am human.  
  
So why are you up this late, anyway? Rio asked, switching immediately to another topic. He placed his arms in the air, intertwining his hands and resting his head against the rest that was created. I mean, I couldn't sleep cause I didn't do enough stuff today, but what about you?  
  
Yu replied, and Rio frowned. Yu sighed,   
  
Huh? Nightmares? Rio blinked, his face attaining a baffled expression. The thought of Yu suffering from nightmares was so inconceivable that for a moment, Rio was inclined to dismiss the reply as a joke. But considering the fact that it was Yu he was talking to, Rio knew that it was hardly such. Frowning slightly, Rio prodded, What kind of nightmares?  
  
  
  
The simple word was spoken with such calmness that it almost could have been any word. But Rio saw the haunted look in Yu's eyes, though it was cleverly hidden, and he picked up on the underlying fear in the younger pilot's voice. Perhaps if he had been Ernest, he would know what it meant, but all Rio could really sense was that Yu wasn't joking around. The nightmares he was having were serious. Almost deathly so, if he had read the tone correctly.  
  
Rio waited a moment before replying, debating over the most reasonable response to what Yu had just said. After a while, he inquired, What kind of demons?  
  
Dark ones, Yu explained, his gray eyes fixed on the floor beneath him. They're coming for us.  
  
They... they're what? Rio exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise. Briefly checking Yu's face for any signs of making a joke, Rio touched the younger pilot's shoulder cautiously. You're kidding, right? C'mon, Yu, it was just a nightmare...  
  
Yu recoiled from the touch, his eyes widening in an expression that Rio had never seen on him before. It was a mixture of fear and apprehension, and a touch of... menace? Rio pulled his hand back quickly, astonished at Yu's startled reaction, and whispered, Yu? Are you all right?  
  
It was a warning, the dark-haired boy murmured, more to himself than to Rio. A warning. There won't be one next time.  
  
  
  
At that moment, Yu looked up at him, and their eyes connected. The fear that Rio had sensed earlier was gone, and instead, a subtle anger was apparent in Yu's strange gray eyes. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Rio broke away, nervous. He could have sworn that Yu was smirking...  
  
I'm going to bed. Yu stated calmly, as if he were unaware of what had just occurred. I'll see you in the morning, Rioroute-san.  
  
Uh... sure... Rio replied apprehensively, his nerves high from the incident that had just occurred. Not only had Yu been acting extremely weird, Rio could swear that somehow, he had been threatened. And not just him - everyone he cared about as well. But Rio knew that Yu hadn't said anything threatening towards him, just...  
  
Rio frowned, opening his mouth to ask Yu about it, but before he could say a word, Yu was already walking away. The words he had wanted to speak dying on his lips, Rio watched as the younger pilot turned the corner and disappeared into the shadows. For a moment, Rio was left alone on the dock, frozen. There was a feeling in the air, a portent of coming peril...  
  
Suddenly, a haze seemed to pass over him, and the feeling was gone. Rio yawned. Man, I'm tired. Stretching his arms out over his head, Rio abruptly turned away from where he was standing, going back the way he had come. As he passed by Agui-Keameia, Rio waved and shot her a grin, murmuring, G'night, my friend. Hopefully I won't be too tired tomorrow.  
  
With that, Rioroute Vilgyna walked away from the docks, the fearful memory of his meeting with Yu slowly fading away. In the corner of the docks, the shady figure of Yu Hikura stood, pensive. He waited until Rio's footsteps died away before smiling surreptitiously. Closing his eyes, the dark-haired boy placed a hand on his chest and disappeared.  
  
Far away from the docks, in the sleeping quarters meant for the pilots, the real Yu Hikura woke up with a start, visibly shaking in fear. Breathing harshly, the dark-haired boy could only remember one thing about his nightmare.  
  
_Demons_.


	2. Part 1

**_ Notes_**_: The next part arrives~! Ain't it nift? Beware of some OOCness. For instance, I think that Yu talks too much. And Rio goes the entire fic without mentioning food. Stuff like that.  
  
**Genre**: Action/Adventure - Drama - Fantasy - Supernatural  
  
**Main Characters**: Yu, the other pilots (mainly Rio) and the candidates.  
Warnings: This part marks the entrance of an ominous new character, Kajitani Megumi, who's name roughly means A Summertime Valley Blessing (my response: the HELL...?). I'll point out now that I did take her name from Megami Kohousei and just changed the a to a u. I felt like it. She's really not important enough for serious consideration upon her name.  
  
**Couplings**: Hinting of Ernest x Garu. I've decided, though, that there will be no Rio x Yu (*weep*), but there will be some fun little hints of Rio x Phil and (surprise, surprise) Zero x Erts.  
  
**Disclaimer**: Meow._**  
**

  
  
Nighttime Demons  
  


  
It was morning now.  
  
Yu tried not to yawn, but a certain sense of exhaustion filled him. He knew why, of course - after waking up in the middle of the night, he hadn't gone back to sleep. It had seemed irrelevant then, when he was shaking and trying hard not to make any noise. But now that it was daylight, Yu could feel the effect that it had on him: he could barely keep his eyes open.  
  
Not that he would let that show. It would be unacceptable for him to be sleepy, especially if there was a Victim attack. He didn't want to be seen as a liability. Even though it didn't daunt his fellows, like Garu or Rio, to be seen acting unprofessionally, Yu wasn't the type to take part in such mannerisms. Not that he held anything against acting as such - for all he cared, Rio and Garu could whine all they liked, as long as it was clear that the battlefield was a place of strict warfare. Joking around in a situation like that could get someone killed.  
  
Yu almost sighed as he thought this, not wishing to start his day off with something so overtly depressing. If he did so, Yu knew that it would linger over him all day, unless something of greater importance distracted him. He couldn't deal with it the way most people did - by social interaction - because his introverted ways often drove people away. In any case, his silence gave him a lot of time to think - perhaps too much.  
  
A sudden burst of noise shook Yu out of his thoughts. He was standing in the doorway to the training room, where the other pilots and repairers were already gathered. The sudden noise that he had heard was the sound of Garu yelling at Rio, while the latter ran around, laughing and waving some sort of garment in his hands. As the blond-haired pilot ran past him, Yu darted his hand out and deftly snatched the cloth from the boy's raised hand.  
  
Yu looked down at the object in his hands, pensive. It was a t-shirt, apparently, with a clearly inscribed insignia of GOA etched onto it. From what Yu could see, it wasn't of any real importance. He looked up and saw Garu standing in front of him, the green-haired boy's expression one of relief mixed with worry.  
  
Ah, that's mine, Yu, Garu murmured sheepishly, as if he were apologizing. Thanks for getting it from Rio.  
  
Yu raised an eyebrow curiously, but handed the shirt over to Garu. The older pilot smiled gratefully at him and proceeded to turn around at yell at Rio. Yu resisted the urge to roll his eyes, tuning the two boys out and walking over to where Kazuhi stood. She was speaking with Phil and Tune, but offered him a smile as he approached.  
  
Oniisama, you're late, she greeted, almost teasing him.  
  
Yu's expression remained carefully neutral as he replied, softly, I'm here now.  
  
Kazuhi frowned a bit, noting the tired look in her brother's eyes, but decided not to worry about it. Instead, she smiled at Phil brightly, asking, Do you know what Rio doing with Gareas-san's shirt?  
  
Phil smiled back, rolling her eyes slightly. Apparently, it's Garu's little brother's birthday, and he was going to send him a GOA t-shirt because he couldn't afford anything else right now - he spend it on some weird game. Phil explained. Rio decided to heckle him about it, and you saw the rest.  
  
I didn't know that Garu had a little brother! Tune exclaimed, How old is he? Do you know?  
  
Phil replied, nodding. I think he's six.  
  
Is he going to come to GOA when he's of age? Kazuhi asked, intrigued.  
  
Phil shrugged. I'm not sure. Besides, isn't six a little young to be thinking about GOA? I didn't even know what it was until I was ten or so.  
  
Oniisama and I knew when we were really little, Kazuhi stated calmly, looking up at Yu. We planned to come, ever since Okaasama told us about it. And we knew that we were going to make it and become a pilot and repairer team, too, didn't we, Oniisama?  
  
Yu gave a slight nod, though he made no other indication that what Kazuhi had said was true, nor did he add to her story. In a sense, it _was_ true, though the way she had told the story made it seem different. After all, they had known about GOA at a young age, and Yu could even remember talking about becoming a pilot with her as his repairer once. But Kazuhi's story seemed wrong to him - perhaps because he knew that it wasn't the whole truth.  
  
Then again, the whole truth would be greatly disquieting. Yu knew that it would be better if Kazuhi deluded the other repairers - even if he didn't agree with spreading around half-truths.  
  
Vaguely, Yu could hear Kazuhi and the other repairers talking with each other and giggling every so often (more the other repairers than Kazuhi on the latter, but she giggled once or twice.) He tuned them out; his barely awake state made him revert back to the simplest commands, which didn't involve gabbing with a group of teenage girls. Not that he would do that usually, but there were times when Yu found himself just sitting back and listening to the repairers talk. He was quiet enough that they weren't bothered by his presence, and he was patient enough to decipher what was being said. But today, he was too tired to even think about listening in.  
  
He had just fallen into a comfortable daze when an arm wrapped around his shoulders and an annoyingly loud voice stated, Ne, Yu, didn't you get _any_ sleep last night?  
  
Yu tried not to sigh as he looked over at Rio. The older boy was grinning brightly, though there was a darkening bruise on his right cheekbone - most likely from where Garu had shown his irritation towards Rio's earlier escapade. Rio was looking at him expectantly, but Yu simply looked at him, saying nothing.  
  
Rio frowned, pouting, Aw, c'mon, Yu! Say something! Be a good little boy, _Yu-chan_! The suffix was emphasized, and Rio grinned brightly as he said it. If anything was going to get a rise out of Yu, it would be that.  
  
_Humph_!  
  
Rio gasped for air as he felt Yu's elbow connect with his stomach, and he kneeled over slightly, clutching at his abdomen. Immediately afterwards, he glared up at Yu, muttering, Aa, k'so! Yu, that _hurt_!  
  
Thus, the point. Yu muttered at him in response, slightly amused. Rio's arm was still resting across his shoulders, and Yu's eyes widened considerably as he felt the arm begin to tighten. Within seconds, the brown-haired pilot found himself in a neatly constructed head-lock.  
  
Oh, _really_? Rio joked, mock punching Yu in the head, Well, then, I guess you deserve to be taught a lesson!  
  
Yu tried to free himself from Rio's grasp, but it proved futile. Nothing the sudden demise in conversation about the room, Yu realized that everyone was looking at them. Yu felt his face burn with a hot blush; he hated being the center of attention. Squirming to get out of the headlock, Yu muttered, Let go of me, Rioroute.  
  
It wasn't as forceful as he had hoped, given his soft-spoken tendency, and Rio laughed. Despite that, the sandy-haired pilot released him and looked over at Garu. Rio grinned brightly, stating, Ne, look, Garu! I got Yu to talk! Ha! That's better than you.  
  
Oh, please. He told you to let him go. Garu responded, rolling his eyes. That's hardly a heart-to-heart.  
  
Yu stepped away from Rio, rubbing his neck and frowning. So he was a game? Great. He took that moment to glare at both Garu and Rio, and then proceeded to walk away from both of them. Yu tried to calm himself, but he just _wasn't_ in the mood for his fellow pilot's jocose actions that morning. Besides that, he was tired.  
  
Taking his weariness into account, Yu decided to leave. He could miss a day - he'd mark himself as sick. Every pilot was granted a few sick days, though it wasn't wise to use them, considering that every day of training was imperative for the safety of both GOA and Zion. But at that moment, Yu just _didn't care_. So when he reached the doors, he let them open and left, heading towards his room.  
  
Yu had gotten a total of five feet before he heard the doors open and close again with a quiet hissing sound. Almost instantly, a hand touched his shoulder and Rio's face came into view, looking remorseful.  
  
Hey, Yu, are you all right? Rio asked, wide-eyed. Look, I'm sorry if I made you mad or something; I was just joking around, really! Are you upset? Rio's expression was truly apologetic, and he looked at Yu like he would be really distressed if he had actually hurt the younger boy's feelings. After all, he hadn't meant to do anything mean; his actions had been done in the spirit of friendship. But, if Yu hadn't realized that...  
  
Yu stared up at Rio with a blank expression on his face, but decided to reassure his fellow pilot verbally; knowing Rio, that would be the only way that he would leave Yu alone. I'm fine.  
  
Are you sure? Rio asked, stepping back from Yu but leaving his hand on the younger boy's shoulder. You seem tired. Didn't you go back to sleep?  
  
Yu's head snapped up, his eyes narrowed slightly. How did Rio know that he had been woken up? He frowned, but said nothing. It didn't matter, though, because Rio read his expression perfectly. Yu mentally sighed; his nightmares were something that he didn't want to deal with right now. Yu abruptly turned away from the sandy-haired pilot, shaking off his hand and walking down another hall.  
  
Rio's voice called, and he grabbed Yu's arm before the latter could disappear down the hall. Rio turned Yu to face him, brown eyes narrowed in concern, and he asked, Don't you remember last night?  
  
Yu frowned and gave a slight shake of his head. He was angry with Rio for following him, but if the only way to make the older boy leave him alone was to answer his stupid questions, then Yu figured he would do just that.  
  
Rio blinked, confused. B-but... it was just last night. We talked to each other by the Ingrids. And you don't remember? You said that you were having nightmares.  
  
I did have nightmares last night, Rioroute. Yu slowly admitted, becoming confused himself. But I didn't leave my room.  
  
You didn't? Rio replied incredulously, eyes wide. But I talked to you! I _know_ that it wasn't just a dream, because the clothes that I had on were in the hamper this morning - I threw them in there when I went back to sleep. So you had to have gotten up!  
  
I didn't. Yu insisted, shaking his head for emphasis. I don't know how you knew that I had nightmares.  
  
About demons, right? Rio asked. Yu's eyes widened - Rio had been right - but the sandy-haired pilot didn't wait for Yu to respond before holding his head in his hand and making a very loud, frustrated sigh. Geez, what's going _on_ here? I _know_ that I talked to you.  
  
It only took a moment for Yu to realize what was going on, and in that moment, a dozen repressed memories came rushing back at him. He could feel his face paling.  
  
_No... oh, no, not again. Not here._  
  
But if what Rio was saying was true, then...  
  
Yu? Hey, Yu, man, you look like you've just seen a ghost. Are you all right?  
  
...then they were back.  
  
For him.  
  
Yu began to tremble, unnoticeably at first, as his memories came back, overwhelming him. That coupled with the fact that he was exhausted caused him to become light-headed, and he could feel himself swaying slightly.  
  
Yu! C'mon, say something!  
  
_They're back. For me. They've come back._  
  
Yu shivered as his world abruptly went black.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
_Crack_!  
  
He twisted, trying to dodge the metal shaft, but failed. It struck him on the side, jarring his nerves with the sound. It didn't hurt much, though, and he was able to quickly spring up and strike back. His opponent jumped out of the way, nervous, and he smiled. It was time to complete _this_ match.  
  
Boldly, he leapt forward, shaft held tight in his grip, and pulled a fake to confuse the adversary before him. It was hastily performed, but luckily, his foe fell for it, and tried vainly to dodge the other way - only to meet a fist of metal. That was it. His competitor was defeated. He had won.  
  
Nice job, Zero, a voice crackled in his helmet, and Zero snapped out of his battle mind-frame. He grinned; it was Erts. Although you probably could have beat him much easier if you hadn't wasted time playing around.  
  
I wasn't playing around, Zero murmured. The sound of his opponent getting up made him turn and look at the ground, saying, You okay, Roose?  
  
I'm good! came Roose's reply, sounding cheerful despite his obvious defeat. Nothing hurt but my pride.  
  
Well, that's good. Erts observed, listening via Zero's com link. The blond-haired boy sounded as he usually did - calm and soft - and Zero smiled. It was comforting to have a friend that wasn't so much like him.  
  
Good? No, it's bad! Zero amended, eyes widening. Very bad! I meant to hit you! If you were a Victim, that means I wouldn't have won!  
  
It's just training- Roose began, but Zero continued.  
  
No, no, no! I must become a pilot! I need to! And that means I should have won!  
  
Erts sighed, Uh, Zero... you _did_ win.  
  
Roose agreed, I really don't want to be killed.  
  
It went on like that for awhile, with Zero spontaneously bursting into short rants about being a pilot. The session was nearly over, so few people noticed the three standing candidates, and those who did notice paid them little mind. Soon, a bell toned, signaling the end of the lesson. The boys quickly left their suits and went to listen to the instructor's closing announcements.  
  
All right, the instructor called to the group of candidates, You will each have a thirty minute resting period before lunch begins. After lunch, report back here for post-training session analysis and a brief workout.  
  
Another one? Roose muttered, his voice teetering on the edge of whining. Erts cast him a sympathetic smile, while Zero either didn't hear him or didn't care. The three candidates began to slowly make their way toward the sleeping quarters when Clay and Yamagi caught up with them, both boys grinning.  
  
Immediately, Zero's attention was caught, and his eyes lit up. What is it? he asked, sensing the mischievous ambiance that surrounded the two boys.  
  
Oh, nothing... Yamagi taunted, smirking. Erts sighed, Roose blinked, and Zero glowered as Yamagi said this, obviously trying to make them beg for the information. Clay, on the other hand, saw through Yamagi's plot and decided to tell the group himself.  
  
he began, ignoring Yamagi as he tried to make Clay stop, We saw the strangest person pass by here. She over talking to Azuma-sensei right now.  
  
Almost instantly, the boys turned to look at Azuma and the strange woman that he was talking to, casually moving towards them as they did so. Well, Clay and Roose moved casually. Zero practically bounded over eagerly, making it no secret that he was trying to overhear their conversation, and Yamagi was right behind him. Erts didn't move at all initially, but sighed and moved after Zero, hoping to catch his airheaded friend before the boy got himself into even more trouble than usual. In the end, all five boys were clustered together near the two adults and were trying to furtively eavesdrop on the conversation.  
  
-that I would, ah, drop by for a visit, so to speak. the woman said, adding a giggle to the end of the sentence.   
  
Azuma wasn't fooled by her blithe disposition, and calmly replied, Look lady, the rule is, you can't be in GOA without a pass. No pass, no visit, no matter how many dear old friends you have lurking around here.  
  
Well, how do I get a pass, then? the girl responded.  
  
You don't, unless you're authorized to be here. Azuma snapped at her, obviously growing weary of the woman's blunt commentary. We can't have a bunch of freakin' tourists coming to GOA, and that means you. Unless you can get clearance, you're leaving.  
  
  
  
Exit's that way. Azuma muttered, gesturing towards the far door with his right hand. He turned abruptly, the woman instantly forgotten, and briskly left the area. Zero jumped as Azuma nearly saw them, but the instructor passed them by, apparently having other things on his mind. Zero grinned and turned to the rest of the candidates, about to say something, when the familiar voice of the woman cut through.  
  
Excuse me, the voice asked, and all five boys looked up at her with various expressions on their faces. Zero and Yamagi looked surprised and baffled, while Roose stared at the lady with a bemused sense of confusion on his face. Clay's expression was curious while Erts was frowning slightly, a bit nervous about the woman's sudden interest in them.  
  
It was Zero who spoke up, jumping out their hiding spot and watching the lady with wide, interested eyes. What you want, woman?   
  
Back in the hiding spot, Clay sighed, hitting his head with the heel of a hand as he heard Zero's overtly sexist remark. Yamagi and Roose followed closely behind Zero, Yamagi looking like he wished to interrogate the woman while Roose only looked mildly interested. Erts and Clay exchanged glances before stepping out as well, their curiosity getting the best of both of them.  
  
Well, I was wondering if you could help me. the woman began, smiling kindly - or so it would seem to a common passerby. Erts' eyes narrowed slightly; he knew from the lady's tone and expression that she only wanted something from them. While that wasn't a crime, he knew, Erts didn't trust conniving people, and this woman appeared to be as deceptive as they come.  
  
That depends. Erts said calmly, stepping forward and placing a restraining hand on Zero's shoulder. Not that he didn't trust Zero, it was just that he knew Zero had a knack for getting himself into bizarre predicaments due to his inquisitive ways. Erts, for one, didn't want this situation to go to far, especially if the strange woman was dangerous in some way. What are you asking for?  
  
The woman smiled sweetly, and Erts took the moment's pause to study her. She was young, but older than the majority of them - he guessed that she was around his brother's age - and her overall appearance was definitely appealing. She was attractive, despite her outlandish clothes, and her blond hair and blue eyes made her look the part of a model of some sort. If she hadn't spoken to them, Erts probably wouldn't have thought that much about her being there, despite the general oddity of her appearance. But now that she had, his alarm bells were ringing. He could sense a mask about her, covering up what she really was, and that made him nervous.  
  
I'm looking for an old friend of mine. the woman said politely, nodding her head at Erts. But she looked away from him after saying that, and glanced back down at Zero. His name is Yu Hikura.  
  
Zero pondered what she had said for a moment, pensive. Then, turning to Erts, he asked, Hey, Erts, who the hell is Yu Hikura?  
  
There was a collective facefault from the group, and Clay jumped up, amazed at Zero's blunt stupidity. Are you a moron?! Clay asked, his eyes wide with astonishment. He's a pilot, you idiot! Number three! He pilots the Tellia-Kallisto. For crying out loud, Zero, we learned that on the first day!  
  
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER ALL OF THE FACTS?! Zero snapped back, holding his arms out wide in exasperation. Okay, whatever, I remember now. He's the eerily quiet one, right?  
  
Clay sighed, his head in his hands.   
  
You're right, Zero, Erts said, trying not to laugh. He smiled down at his smaller friend, who at the moment was casting Clay with an irritated stare. He then looked back up at the woman, who appeared to be quite amused the display. Erts inquired, Why do you want to see Yu Hikura?  
  
That's my own business, the woman replied calmly, and Erts' eyes widened slightly as he sensed the irritation in her mood. She was losing her forbearance, he could tell, because up until that point her emotions had been carefully held in check. In any case, I was wondering if you could assist me in locating him. I need to speak with him, and really, a pass would be too much of a hassle. It'll only take a second.  
  
Erts listened to the woman warily, using his empathy to try and dig deeper into the woman's inner feelings. He wouldn't have done that usually, but he was getting bad vibes from the woman. Despite this, her emotions held no malice in them, just a bit of impatience and urgency. Also, Erts could sense an underlying feeling worry in her thoughts - as if something was greatly troubling her. Still, nothing to truly be alarmed about.  
  
Zero's cheerful voice interrupted Erts' thoughts, and his eyes went wide as he realized that the younger candidate was agreeing to the woman's terms. I mean, you know where they are, don'tcha, Erts?  
  
Ah, well- Erts began cautiously. He didn't want to lie to his friend, but truly, he didn't want to help the strange woman either. Still, he knew that Zero would probably do it with or without his help, and there wasn't any time to pull the brown-haired boy aside and try to reason with him. So, sighing, Erts did the only thing he could think of. GIS docked a while ago. I'll show you.  
  
Immediately, his mind was screaming at him to stop. He was breaking the rules, he was going to be punished, if anything bad amounted from this, Ernest would be extremely upset with him...  
  
But Zero just grinned up at Erts, his face attaining the familiar, out-going expression that it often did when he embarked on some kind of new experience. Zero looked back at Yamagi, Clay, and Roose, who all were still standing there quietly. You guys wanna come too, or should we meet you in the lunch room?  
  
I'm going to lunch. Roose said instantly, smiling. I'm starving. C'mon, Yamagi.  
  
Yamagi frowned as Roose touched his shoulder and muttered, I'm going.  
  
It would probably be best that only Zero and Erts go, Clay offered, pushing up his glasses with his index finger. It'll attract less attention that way, and besides, we candidates have no business interfering with the pilots anyway. If Erts goes, it's acceptable because of his brother, and Zero going with him would seem unnoticeable. The rest of us should probably leave.  
  
Wait, hey-! Yamagi began, but Roose and Clay each grabbed one of his arms and started dragging him towards the lunchroom. Hey, no, I want to go, too-! The three boys disappeared around the corner, and Yamagi's voice could be heard shouting for a few moments longer.  
  
Erts and Zero watched the occurrence with identical looks of bemusement on their faces. After the sound of Yamagi's yelling had died down, Zero looked up at the blond-haired woman. Okay, we can go now. What's your name, anyway?  
  
she replied with a smile as they began to leave the premises. Megumi Kajitani.  
  
I'm Zero, and he's Erts. Zero introduced them, though he hadn't been asked. A grin was on his face, and Erts could tell that he had been intrigued by the mysterious woman. Perhaps because of her strange clothing, he resolved.  
  
With the introductions made, they proceeded to follow Erts out of the lobby, to where the pilots were gathered.  
  
  
  
  
Kazuhi was calmly listening to Phil tell a story that she had heard from another repairer when Rio burst into the room again. The sandy-haired boy scanned the room quickly before picking Kazuhi out, and Rio immediately made his way over to her. Eyes wide, he said, Something's wrong with Yu!  
  
Kazuhi asked in response, not waiting for an answer as she pushed past him and ran out the door. It only took her a moment to find her older brother - he was slumped against a wall, his face devoid of color, though it was made even more pallid because of the bright lights in the hallway.  
  
Worried, Kazuhi knelt next to Yu's shiftless form, and touched his shoulder gently, Oniisama... Oniisama! Wake up!  
  
I'm not sure how it happened! a voice explained, and it was then that Kazuhi realized that she had been followed by not only Rio, but the other pilots and repairers as well. Rio was standing next to her, looking down at Yu with an anxious expression on his face.  
  
What do you mean? Kazuhi asked, looking up and casting Rio with an intense stare. What happened?  
  
One minute we were talking about something, the next, he just collapsed. Rio responded, looking as confused as he sounded. I mean, he said that he was tired, but it was really sudden! I managed to catch him before he hit the ground, but it was close.  
  
Kazuhi didn't reply, but merely looked back down at her older brother, biting her lip. _Oniisama_, she thought, _you have to get up_. A brief memory flitted through her head, but Kazuhi narrowed her eyes, determined to ignore it. _No, it's not going to happen here. It won't_. And yet...  
  
Kazuhi shivered slightly, but proceeded to shake Yu's shoulder again, while repeating, Oniisama, wake up!  
  
Yu began to stir at the last comment, and Kazuhi's expression brightened as his gray eyes opened slowly. Blearily, they focused on Kazuhi's face and blinked a few times before Yu murmured,   
  
Kazuhi responded happily, surprised at the amount of tension that was lifted off her shoulders by Yu's revival.  
  
Oh, good, he's awake. a voice stated from behind her, which Kazuhi identified as Garu's. There was a brief moment of silence after this was said, but soon the only people left in the hallway were Kazuhi, Yu, Rio and Phil. Yu had began to rise on his own power, and was now leaning heavily against the wall.  
  
Oniisama, are you all right? Kazuhi asked, trying to help him stand. To anyone besides Yu and she, it would seem like a simple, health-related question, but what Kazuhi was really asking was, _what caused this_? _Were you attacked_?  
  
Yu offered his sister a shaky smile, faint and barely detectable, and replied, Yes. I'm fine. His eyes flickered up to see Rio and Phil standing there, looking out of place but worried, and he nodded to Rio. You can go back now.  
  
Are you sure? Rio asked, concerned. Maybe I should contact the infirmary. I mean, you just collapsed. You could be sick.  
  
I'm fine. Yu repeated, the faint smile disappearing from view. His hand was on Kazuhi's shoulder, steadying himself, and he stepped away from the wall. With his other hand, he gestured towards the now closed doors. You're missing the simulation.  
  
Rio began.  
  
Don't worry, Rioroute-san, Kazuhi said, giving both Rio and Phil a shaky smile. I think he's just tired. Go back in; it would be awful if both of us missed the simulation.  
  
Rio frowned, about to argue some more, but Phil intervened, replying, You're right. She smiled at Kazuhi and nodded at Yu, commenting, I hope you feel better soon.  
  
Rio and Phil proceeded to leave, and Kazuhi could hear them start to argue before they even reached the door to the training room. Kazuhi waited for a few moments to ensure that she and Yu were alone before asking, What _really_ happened?  
  
It's the truth. Yu murmured, I fainted.  
  
I know that. Kazuhi replied irritably - she did not have the patience to play games. Don't try and cover it up. The only other time that you've ever fainted was back at home, and we both know why. So _what happened_?  
  
Yu paused, his expression going carefully blank.   
  
she asked, narrowing her eyes. What do you mean?  
  
Of _them_.  
  
Kazuhi went silent, staring at Yu with a blank expression that slowly changed into a fearful one. She looked nervously down the hall, and then stated, You should probably go to your room. I help you.  
  
For a moment, Yu looked like he was going to protest, but did nothing of the sort. It was obvious that he was too worn out to do much of anything; his eyes were half-lidded and his face was still pale. Anyone looking at the two of them would most likely think that Yu was sick, although both of them knew that health-wise, he was fine.  
  
You're going to talk to me after you're rested, Kazuhi ordered quietly as she helped her brother walk.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*****  
  
Eheheh, weird end for the first part, I know, but I'm tired. ^_^;;  



	3. Part 2

_ **Notes**: Well, here's the next part to my ever wonderful MK fanfic, which (thanks to Muse-Rio) has been coming about quite abundantly. By the way, with that mentioned, I'd like to introduce my new muse, the ubershibby... Rioroute Vilgyna~! Or properly dubbed as Muse-Rio. ^__^;; *suddenly growls and glomps onto Rio, hissing* He's mine~! My Muse~! My own... my **precious**... *sudden visions of Golem* Eeeep. Oh, and for the part with Wrecka and Roose: the idea comes from Kay-san's fanfic Black and White and Shades of Gray. It's ubershibby. Go read it now. You will not be disappointed.  
  
**Genre**: Action/Adventure - Drama - Fantasy - Supernatural  
  
**Main Characters**: Eh, everyone'll be in here eventually, I'm sure. Yu, Rio, Kazuhi, Phil, and to a lesser extent, Erts, Zero, and the other Pilots and Candidates. Also, I suppose I could mention Megumi as a main character, but she is really only there to annoy people, so... whatever. This is taking up too much space anyway.  
  
**Warnings**: Swearing. Bitchy blonde OCs. Annoyed Yu. Sliiiiiight sexual hints.  
  
**Couplings**: Hints of Rio x Phil, Zero x Erts, Wrecka x Roose, and Ernest + Garu. Brief twinges of Megumi + Yu, but only if you squint, and even then, Yu hates her, so it doesn't matter.  
  
**Disclaimer**: Look at me~! I'm... NOT Bunny-sensei~! *rolls eyes* Simply astonishing, isn't it?  
  
**Random Note of Persuasion**: Go to my website. Now. Please. Click on my l'il Author profile thing, click on the blue high-lighted link and go there. Seeeeeriously._  
  
  


**Nighttime Demons**  
  
  


  
It was quiet in the room when Megumi walked in, hugging the shadows as much as she could. She was glad that she had been able to get those two younger boys to help her, because it would have just been much too big of a hassle to try and get through security. Besides, she didn't need to be here for long. Just long enough to get what she wanted, and then she'd be gone from their stupid little facility.  
  
Megumi raised an eyebrow as she stepped towards the center of the room, her eyes fixed on the object in the center of the room. It was a bed, covered with starchy white sheets that looked like they were used to being neatly folded. But it wasn't the bed that Megumi was looking at; her eyes were watching the figure laying on the bed. He hadn't noticed her yet, as he was asleep, but Megumi didn't doubt that he would notice her soon. His sister had left earlier; Megumi wasn't about to enter the room while the girl was there. She couldn't _stand_ his sister.  
  
Megumi stepped closer, and Yu's eyes suddenly flew open and locked on her. It took a brief moment for him to recognize her, and Megumi smirked as she saw his eyes narrow in aggravation. It was hard to know when he was angry, but Megumi could tell that he was; she hadn't spent a good deal of her time studying him for nothing, after all. Yu sat up, moving so that he was seated on the edge of his bed with his feet positioned on the floor.  
  
Morning, sunshine, Megumi greeted in a mock cheerful fashion, flaunting over to his bedside and sitting on a chair that sat in propinquity to his bed. She sniffed around the area and fidgeted in irritation; his sister had sat there. Megumi ignored the essence around her and instead gave Yu a feral grin. Is my poor little Yu all tired out?  
  
Why hasn't someone impaled you with a spike yet? Yu responded, his gray eyes narrow as he calmly made his annoyance clear.  
  
No one can catch me, hun, Megumi winked as she answered him, throwing in the added pet name to test his reaction. It worked; she could see his eyebrow twitch ever so slightly, though it was hard to tell if it was from her comment or just her presence. In any case, it's been a long time since I've spoken to you. I love what you've done with yourself, dear! Absolutely nothing, it seems. Anyway, enough catching up. Where is it?  
  
Yu said nothing, opting to stay silent as he studied the woman in front of him. Megumi frowned, having always been annoyed by his quiet nature, and she rolled her eyes. Oh, c'mon, Yu. Just tell me where you put it and I'll leave you alone.  
  
There was a moment's pause before Yu quietly responded, I don't know.  
  
Yeah, right, Megumi snapped at him, her cheerful demeanor disappearing with her words. You have it. I know you do. Where is it?  
  
I do not know, Yu replied snippily, stressing each word.  
  
Shut up and tell, already! Megumi snarled, standing up and glowering down at him, her hands on her hips. Stop playing stupid, cause I really don't have the patience for that! Just tell me and I'll leave. Okay?  
  
Yu calmly stated, I told you. I don't know. Now go away.  
  
You know what I think? I think that you're lying, just so you won't have to give it to me. Jackass.  
  
Yu said nothing in response, and Megumi hissed.  
  
I need it, you moron. It's important! Why don't you stop playing around and give it to me so that I don't have to get pissed?  
  
Silence.  
  
Or hell, I will get pissed, and I'll have some fun getting rid of my anger. I never did like your sister much anywa-  
  
Her voice was abruptly cut off as Yu's hand clamped down on her throat and a strange-looking dagger was suddenly pointed straight at her heart. Megumi's eyes widened and she tried to move away; briefly, she wondered where the weapon had come from, but didn't have time to worry about that as Yu leveled a hostile glare at her.  
  
Never threaten Kazuhi, Yu hissed furiously, his eyes narrowed into slits. I would think that you'd know that by now, Megumi.  
  
They stood in the standstill for a few moments, Megumi not daring to move for fear of having her heart impaled. Silence reigned throughout the room and the tension was almost palpable. Yu glared at Megumi, not moving, and Megumi was considering trying to discuss the incident with him when both of them heard a set of footsteps outside the door. Shortly afterwards, a knock was heard on Yu's door.  
  
Yu frowned slightly, pushing Megumi away from him and shoving her back into the chair. Megumi, grateful for being released from Yu's potentially fatal grip, could only watch numbly as Yu placed the dagger back in a drawer and went to answer the door. A brief commotion occurred at the entrance to the room and Megumi observed it with interest.  
  
A sandy-haired boy and a blond-haired boy were standing at the door when Yu answered. The sandy-haired one smiled brightly, asking, Hey, Yu! Are you feeling okay?  
  
We were worried when you fainted. the blond one added in a calmer voice.  
  
Yu nodded slightly at the two boys, replying, I'm fine.  
  
Sandy-hair continued incredulously, You seemed pretty bad this morning. And Kazuhi looked worried when Phil spoke with her and-  
  
Rioroute, Yu says that he's all right. Blond-hair admonished the other boy, looking disapprovingly at his friend. He then looked back at Yu and smiled softly, commenting, We'll see you at practice tomorrow then, right?  
  
Yu nodded and the two boys disappeared from the doorway, though Megumi could still hear the sandy-haired one whining, But Ernest, he looked like hell this morning! Ernest! Let me go-!  
  
Yu closed the door, effectively drowning out whatever else the sandy-haired boy had yelled. He turned and looked at where Megumi had been, raising an eyebrow and muttering, You can cut the illusion now.  
  
Megumi rolled her eyes. To anyone but Yu and her, it would have appeared like the brown-haired boy was simply talking to himself, but Megumi hadn't moved. The blond-haired girl smirked as she reappeared in the physical world, looking discreetly at her long, blood-red nails. So... are you ready to tell me where it is, or do you really want me to go on a killing rampage around this entire stupid complex?  
  
Yu said nothing, walking over to a dresser that stood on the opposite side of the room. He was dressed in a pair of loose pants and a white t-shirt at the moment, and he calmly dug though his drawers until he pulled out a strange-looking red and green outfit. Yu turned around after he had the clothing and was proceeding to leave the area when Megumi made an irritated sigh.  
  
Aren't you even going to fuckin' respond, ya moron?! Megumi snapped, rolling her eyes.  
  
I need to change. the brown-haired boy replied as he walked over to a doorway that stood near his dresser. Megumi could see that it led to the bathroom. There's going to be an attack soon.  
  
Fuck you, too. Megumi commented dryly as the thin boy went into the bathroom and closed the door. She gave a disgruntled sigh, muttering, Not that he was around to hear it.  
  
It only took a few moments for Yu to change, and when he came out, Megumi raised her eyebrows in appreciation. She whistled slightly. Nice outfit, sugar. I love the legs.  
  
Yu didn't appear to hear her as he leaned against a wall, running a comb through his slightly disheveled hair. The room was silent for a moment before Yu murmured, I don't have it.  
  
Yes, you do. Megumi denounced his comment immediately, standing up and looking around the room. And I need it. They're getting out of control again.  
  
Yu frowned, his eyes narrowing. That's impossible.  
  
Like, _no_. Megumi responded, mentally wincing at her ditzy tone. She continued, They've been getting all riled up lately. A few have even tried to attack again.  
  
But the spell-  
  
The spell is apparently a bunch of bullshit, hun, Megumi interrupted Yu as she squatted next to the wall by his bed, looking at the objects nearby. And it's probably affecting you too, if I'm not mistaken.  
  
Yu didn't respond, and for a few minutes, neither of them said anything. Yu was lost in thought and Megumi was curiously examining the ancient swords displayed on the wall.  
  
Yu suddenly broke the silence, stating, I haven't felt anything.  
  
Oh, like hell-, Megumi began, but she was soon cut off by a loud bell that sounded throughout the room. Megumi winced, covering her ears with her hands, while Yu simply walked over to the door and opened it, preparing to leave.  
  
That would be the attack, he explained softly, setting the comb down on a nightstand.  
  
Hey, wait a sec! Megumi snapped, grabbing Yu by the arm just before he disappeared out the door. She leveled a glare at the brown-haired boy, her blue eyes narrowed and tinted in anger. In case you've forgotten, I was _talking_ to you. _No one_ walks out on Megumi Kajitani.  
  
Go to hell, Megumi, Yu muttered as he efficiently twisted out of the blond woman's grasp and walked away before she could react. The door closed abruptly in her face and Megumi gaped, unsure of how to respond to such an overt insult.  
  
she yelled at the vacant room, kicking the door irritably. Her fists clenched, Megumi muttered, When you come back, Yu _dearest_, we're going to have a talk about your fuckin' _manners_.  
  
She disappeared; the room was empty once again.  
  
  
  
  
  
But Wrecka-chan, I really don't want to...  
  
Wrecka paused, her hands a few inches above the pink box that she had previously been reaching for. Slowly, she turned her head to look at the boy seated behind her. Trying her best to look cute and innocent, Wrecka responded, Well, why _not_, Roose?  
  
Well, um, the boy began, his eyes nervously darting around the room. I just - well, I don't think that-  
  
It wouldn't be _bad_, Roose, Wrecka interrupted, her voice laden with sugar. I mean, I need help with some stuff and I just thought that you'd want to help me...  
  
Of course I want to help you, Wrecka-chan, but-  
  
And to think, I was so looking forward to having you help me! Wrecka continued, throwing in an almost-sob to make it more effective. B-but if you don't want to... She sniffled pathetically.  
  
Roose winced, his eyes wide. Ne, Wrecka-chan, of course I want to help you; please don't cry. I - I just was wondering if we could do something diff-  
  
So you'll help? Wrecka asked, jumping up and immediately hugging Roose. Oh, thank you SO much, Roose! I'll make it worth your while, really!  
  
B-but, Wrecka-chan- Roose began.  
  
Okay, here's the stuff, Wrecka said, ignoring Roose's weak protests as she dragged him over to her bedside. Before them sat a large pink case that Wrecka had pulled from under her bed. I just need to experiment on you to make sure that it doesn't look absolutely horrid when I try. Think of how all of the other girls would tease me if it turned out wrong!  
  
Roose sighed, reluctantly accepting his fate. Briefly, he thought, _And think of how much the other boys will tease ME when they find out that I'm putting on MAKE-UP..._ But there wasn't much that he could do about it now, not if he didn't want to make Wrecka mad. And if he was lucky, no one else would ever hear about this.  
  
Wrecka pulled a brush and a few other items from the box, and then turned back to Roose. Okay, Roose, just sit down at look straight ahead. I'm going to make sure that I know what to do, here.  
  
Okay, Wrecka-chan...  
  
He sat on the edge of the bed for quite a while, though how long exactly he didn't know. All that he could think about was how weird and silly he must look, and how much everyone was going to tease him when they found out, as he knew they most definitely would. It would leak out somehow, he knew; things like _boys_ putting on _makeup_ tended to do that.  
  
And needless to say, Roose wasn't exactly looking forward to the teasing, backhand comments, and mockery that the other boys would give him. Not one bit. But Wrecka did need him to help and he didn't want to be mean to her, so it basically came down to a choice of dealing with it or making Wrecka mad. And like any other boy who might be thrown into this situation, Roose knew that choosing the former would be more conducive to a long life. Even if he'd have to suffer at least of month of unescapable teasing; at least that would be better than having _Wrecka Toesing_ mad at him.  
  
Wrecka was almost finished applying mascara to his right eyes, having already applied blush and eyeliner, when she frowned suddenly and halted her action. Roose internally sighed gratefully, posing a secret wish that she was finished. Instead, Wrecka simply smiled cutely, commenting, Y'know, Roose, I think that the silver eyeshadow would look better on you than the green. I remember reading that you should never have eyeshadow the same color as your eyes. What do you think?  
  
Um, okay, Roose hastily agreed in acquiesce, considering that he had absolutely no idea what Wrecka was talking about. He vaguely understood the concept of too much color, but beyond that, it was over his head. _As it should be! Boy's should NOT wear makeup!_ Roose's braver side argued, though his timorous manners remained.  
  
was Wrecka's response as she finished applying the second coat of mascara. She set the stick down, straightening, and said, I think I left the silver in the bathroom. Wait for a second while I get it, okay, Roose?  
  
All right, Roose agreed, thankful that she was leaving for a moment. He loved Wrecka, he really did, but at times, her actions could get overbearing. As Wrecka disappeared into the next room, Roose bit his lip, wondering if he had enough courage to make a break for it. But that would make Wrecka angry with him, and Roose really didn't want to upset Wrecka.  
  
_You idiot!_ his brave side argued with him, _Just run! Now! Before she makes you look like a girl!  
_  
_But that'll make Wrecka-chan so angry, and I don't want to make her mad._ he internally debated back. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Roose realized that he was talking to himself, but it really didn't seem that important at the moment._ And besides, I already look like a girl.  
  
_ _You're so pathetic_, the brave side snapped back at him before falling silent. It was strange; somehow, Roose's passive side always took precedence over being violent. He wasn't sure exactly why, though he took the thought to mean that he was just naturally nonviolent.  
  
_Yet another reason why I shouldn't be a Pilot_, Roose thought philosophically, leaning back against the wall that stood next to Wrecka's bed. It was quiet in the room, now that Wrecka wasn't around and Roose wasn't constantly involved in conversation. In fact, it was too quiet, considering.  
  
Roose frowned; Wrecka had been gone an awful long time for just grabbing some silver eyeshadow. And now that he thought about it, he couldn't hear any sounds coming from the bathroom. His eyes narrowing slightly, Roose felt himself growing worried. Wrecka never took this long to do something.  
  
Roose called out cautiously, standing up and beginning to make his way towards the open bathroom door. When no answer came, Roose frowned and his eyes widened, a dire feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. Stepping up to stand in the door's frame, Roose asked again, Wrecka-chan? Are you all- ah!  
  
His startled cry was initiated by the sight of Wrecka; the blue-haired girl was laying limply on the ground, her hair falling in strands about her shoulders and her face pallid. She was positioned with her back resting against the cabinet doors and her head was drooped forward; from where he was standing, Roose could see a small vial of a silvery substance loosely held in the girl's hand.  
  
was the boy's dismayed cry as he ran to her, concerned. Roose picked his repairer up in his arms gently, not wishing to disrupt her if she was hurt. Carefully, he prodded, Wrecka-chan, wake up. C'mon, wake up, Wrecka-chan.  
  
Wrecka didn't stir, though her head fell limply to the side as Roose shook her slightly. As she did this, her hair shifted enough for Roose to catch a good glimpse of her neck. When he said it, Roose gasped.  
  
_They... they're **bites**.  
_  
On Wrecka's neck was a large welt that surround two small puncture wounds. It looked hideous; it was bright red and swollen, and it seemed to stare angrily back at him. Roose's eyes were narrowed in concern as he reached his fingers to tentatively touch the wound.  
  
Suddenly, Roose's sense of logic came back to him, and he hastily set Wrecka back on the ground. Pausing one moment to ensure that she was safe, Roose made his way towards the door, preparing to contact the infirmary to get Wrecka some medical assistance. As he walked to the phone, a thought made its way into the back of Roose's mind.  
  
_What on GOA could have bitten Wrecka-chan...?_  
  
  
  
  
I thought Yu was sick. was Rio's first comment upon exiting Agui-Keameia. He was relatively intact, considering; it hadn't been an especially hard battle, but he had taken a few scraps. Absentmindedly, he wiped a streak of blood off of his cheek as if it was nothing more than a bit of grease or food.  
  
Guess not. came the reply from the girl seated to his right. Phil hadn't even looked at him when he stepped out; she was assiduously working on the computer screen in front of her and could not be bothered. Her green eyes were narrowed in concentration as she analyzed the rows of statistics picked up from the battle; Rio waited while she finished, knowing that it wouldn't be correct procedure to leave without his repairer. At least, not this time.  
  
Phil saved her work as soon as she was done, backing away from the computer and smiling. Her face expressed surprise and a bit of apprehension as she saw Rio standing so close to her, and for a moment, Rio thought that she blushed. After her initial reaction, Phil asked,   
  
What do you mean, Rio asked incredulously, giving Phil a skeptical gaze. I'm waiting for you.  
  
Phil rolled her eyes. Aren't you _hungry_? The last word was emphasized with a humorous tone, mocking him, and Rio frowned.  
  
Well, yeah, but I thought that you'd like it if I waited. Rio explained. At Phil's surprised and baffled expression, Rio stated, WHAT?! I'm not a jerk! At least, not always. Honest!  
  
Oh, really? Phil questioned, rolling her eyes once again and standing up. Then why is this the first time you've waited for me without complaining about your precious food at least once?  
  
Rio grinned sheepishly, replying, Uh... I'm turning over a new leaf?  
  
was Phil's response, as both pilot and repairer moved away from the Ingrid dock. For a moment, there was silence, before Phil asked, What does that saying mean, anyway?  
  
Rio answered, shrugging. My mom used to say it a lot. I think it meant something like becoming a new person or whatever, cause she'd always say it to Kazu, who was into some bad stuff when I left. I don't know what it literally means, though.  
  
It sounds weird.  
  
Rio shrugged. It's an old saying.  
  
There was silence for a moment as Rio and Phil walked down the platform, but it was cut short when Phil stopped, placed her hands on her hips, and incredulously asked Rio, Okay. What's wrong?  
  
Rio averted his eyes and said nothing; his face had gone uncharacteristically blank as he took in Phil's note of concern. It was apparent that he hadn't been expecting the question, but now that he had been asked, Rio wasn't trying to hide his discomfort any longer. Phil stood in front of him, intractable, as she stared at his face. Briefly, the auburn-haired girl felt a twinge of affection for the boy before her, but it was soon quenched by worry and slight irritation. A minute passed before Phil became impatient, asking,   
  
I... I'm not sure, said Rio, his shoulders slumping. He looked down at Phil, his crimson eyes connecting with her green ones. He sighed, stating, Lately, something's been... _wrong_, I guess you could say. It's hard to tell, but there is something strange going on.  
  
Phil raised an eyebrow, mentally reeling from Rio's complete change in his normal attitude; he usually acted like he didn't have a care in the world, and now, to show such perception. Phil pushed those thoughts away; she knew that Rio wasn't stupid, and that he did sometimes have bursts of insight. But whenever Rio did this, Phil couldn't help but become unnerved; it just wasn't _Rio_ for him to be so solemn. Focusing on the problem at hand, Phil frowned slightly and ventured, Well, maybe your EX is ebbing a little. There have been a lot of battles.  
  
It's not that. was Rio's immediate reply as he shook his head. I know what it feels like to lose EX, and trust me, this isn't it. I'm not sure what it is, but it's bothering me. It's like... well, it's like an itch in the back of my head. Like I can sense something but can't _quite_ see it, you know?  
  
That's... really weird, Phil responded, frowning. At Rio's brief look of exasperation, Phil amended, No, no, don't take that the wrong way. I believe you. It's just that, well, you're not exactly the kind of person to be having premonitions. _If anyone received them, it would be Ernest_, Phil thought vaguely, though she put no more thought into that idea.  
  
It's not a premonition! snapped Rio, but he caught himself and winced, murmuring, Sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. But it isn't a premonition, really. It's just a feeling. Like something's going to happen, but I don't know what it is.  
  
Isn't that what a premonition is? Phil replied calmly, though she was slightly vexed by the way Rio had snapped at her - as well as fearful. Rio didn't usually get mad at _anyone_, even Yu, who would practically give Rio concussions when he was annoyed with the sandy-haired boy. But now, it almost seemed like Rio was getting angry with her, and Phil didn't want that; after all, _she_ was supposed to be the one getting mad at _him_, not the other way around.  
  
Well - yes - but no, that's not it. was Rio's stuttered answer, looking confused. He shook his head and blinked before replying, I don't know what it is. But something's weird, and it's distracting me.  
  
I don't know what to tell you, Rio. Phil murmured, tentatively placing a hand on Rio's arm. He blinked, his face arranging in an expression of surprise as he noticed her action; Phil pulled her hand away quickly, feeling her face rise with a faint blush. She didn't know why she had done that, but it had felt like the right idea at the time. Phil mentally kicked herself, thinking irritably, _Note to self: think before doing stuff_.  
  
Ah - it doesn't matter. Rio said after a few moments, a grin appearing on his face. Phil couldn't tell if it was fake or not, but she didn't have time to analyze it before Rio turned abruptly and chirped, But man, I'm hungry! Seeya at lunch, ne, Phil?  
  
The sandy-haired boy left before Phil could answer, and soon, Rio was gone from the docks and Phil was left standing, mouth slightly agape in bewilderment. It was like Rio had completely switched personalities in less than a second. As she stood there, baffled beyond reason, Phil could only come to one conclusion about what had just occurred.  
  
My partner is completely and totally _insane_, concluded Phil wearily, leaning against the metal railing on the docks and raising a hand up to massage her head.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
~~~  
Meow.


	4. Part 3

_ **Notes**: You know what I've just noticed? This entire fic, thus far, has taken place on the EXACT SAME DAY. How creepy is that? I didn't even realize it until now... Weird. Anyway, I apologize dearly for the wait -- I blame it on the last scene in the fic, which decided to drag on forever. And I went to Sweden, so that's two whole weeks out of my writing process there. So... yeah. I'm lazy.  
  
**Couplings**: Who bloody well gives a damn? Not me. Just read the fic; it doesn't focus on romance anyway. (I have a ZeroxErts fixation. I need help. Or at least some good Z/E fanfics. ^_^ *hint, hint*)  
  
**Main Characters**: Yu, Rioroute, Kazuhi, Phil, and to a lesser extent Zero, Erts, and the other candidates. But it doesn't really matter, cause a lot of people are going to be in this fic anyway.  
  
**Warnings**: Swearing. Uber-curious Rioroute. Subtle Hiead-bashing (by Zero. And Yamagi. And Erts. And me.) Stuff happens.  
  
**Disclaimer**: Yes. Yes, I own Megami Kouhosei. Now watch as I give Zero completely omnipotent powers and laugh as he beats the crap out of Hiead. (*in small voice, rushed* ...MegamiKouhoseibelongstoBunny-senseiandisnotmine.)  
_  
  


**Nighttime Demons  
**  


  
Did you hear-  
  
How can this be happening?! I thought that GOA was so safe-  
  
-and they just found her on the floor, completely out of it-  
  
Do you know-  
  
-when she wakes up, maybe she could say-  
  
But honestly, it's _impossible_, it really is-  
  
-what happened?!  
  
This was the scene that met the eyes of the pilots and their repairers as they entered the cafeteria after their battle, much to their surprise. All around them, various personnel were whispering nervously to each other, as if speaking out loud would somehow cause something horrible to occur. It wasn't complete pandemonium, but it was close; nothing seemed to be in order, from the discussion itself to the appearance of the speakers. Everyone looked hassled and worried, and it was obvious that something of great importance had just happened.  
  
What the fuck is going on here? snapped Garu after the group of teenagers had recovered from the initial shock of seeing the cafeteria in this state.  
  
The area fell mostly silent at Garu's loud inquiry, and for a few moments there was a long, nervous pause. Apparently, something had happened that the staff of GIS wasn't willing to divulge to the pilots, which in itself was strange, as the teens were usually given the same (or more) respect as the adults around the area. For some reason, though, there was an air of hesitation about telling the pilots and their repairers.  
  
And this, safe to say, pissed Garu off.  
  
C'mon, tell us! Garu snarled, his arms crossed in front of his chest in an intimidating gesture. Behind him, Ernest stepped forward (most likely to prevent any violence on the green-haired boy's part), and Rio, Tune and Phil edged away nervously. Leena stood beside Garu, not moving but giving Garu an admonishing glare. Though Kazuhi moved behind him precariously, Yu didn't move at all, nor did he seem to be the least bit worried about Garu's temper.  
  
Garu, calm down, Leena reproved instantly.  
  
Ernest put a hand on Garu's shoulder, though whether it was to comfort or restrain him was anyone's guess. Softly, the blond-haired pilot murmured, Yelling isn't going to help in this case, Garu.  
  
You will tell us what happened.  
  
Everyone turned and stared at Yu, who had apparently spoken to the nearest adult (who, coincidentally, was the head doctor in the infirmary.) The brown-haired boy was staring at her with a cold, unwavering glare as he spoke, and continued to do so after the tones had died out. His companions stared at him in bewilderment; usually, Yu wasn't one to take charge of a situation.  
  
The doctor Yu was glaring at coughed nervously, her gray-blue eyes darting to the side as she spoke, Well, something has happened on GOA, but we're not exactly sure-  
  
Oh, _please_. Of course we are, another person intervened, this time being one of the younger technicians. He pushed forward and gave the doctor an incredulous stare. I don't know what you know, Lita, but they have as much right to know as we do.  
  
Garu raised an appreciative eyebrow at the man who had stepped forward, and then caught Ernest's eye. Reading his friend's expression, Ernest stepped forward and smiled kindly at the technician.  
  
Could you tell us? Ernest asked, his expression near serene as he regarded the man before him. It wouldn't do us any good not to tell us, especially now that we know something has happened.  
  
the brown-haired man stated, nodding at Ernest. A repairer candidate was attacked and left comatose on GOA. No one knows what really happened, but she's not doing well.  
  
After the man finished, scattered whispers began to pick up throughout the cafeteria. Garu frowned, confused, and replied, So? I mean, it isn't the first time something weird has happened at GOA. It was probably just another candidate or something.  
  
No, it isn't, the man replied, She wasn't physically injured at all, except that her blood levels were extremely low. Actually, the only actual wound was on her neck; she had some _insect bites_, apparently. But that's impossible. We don't have insects of any kind up here. In any case, we've been ordered to stay connected to GOA until otherwise noted.  
  
The answer seemed to baffle most of the pilots and repairers, because they said nothing in response. Rio cast a side-long glance at Phil, who returned it with a shrug. Both of them knew that whatever had happened, it was strange and completely beyond them to try and figure out. So, verging on yawning, Rio turned to look at the rest of his fellow pilots -- and was met with a startling sight.  
  
Yu, who was again standing towards the back of the group, had gone stark-white; he looked even paler than usual In fact, he looked like he had that morning when he fainted. Rio's eyes widened, confused about Yu's condition, and the sandy-haired boy was about to question it when Yu abruptly turned heel and walked out of the cafeteria. Kazuhi followed quickly behind, her expression more worried than upset. Both of them made barely any noise as they left; Rio knew that if he hadn't been watching, he wouldn't have noticed himself.  
  
_What the fuck is going on?_, Rio thought, his ruby eyes narrowing. A part of his mind reprimanded him for his language, but Rio shoved it aside, instead focusing on what had just occurred. Rio paused for a second before turning and walking towards the door after the two siblings; out of the corner of his eye, Rio saw Phil give him a strange look, but she was busy speaking with Leena, so she didn't question him.  
  
Once he was outside, Rio suddenly realized that he had no idea where the two brown-haired teens had made off to. For all he knew, they could have gone to GOA, though Rio knew that explanation wasn't plausible. But, since he had no idea where to go in the first place, Rio figured that he would just follow his instincts; the sandy-haired boy proceeded to walk down the hallway towards Yu's dorm, his pace quickening as he went.  
  
No one was around as Rio approached the door to Yu's room; Rio felt his heart begin to sink -- it seemed that his gut instinct had been incorrect. His footsteps slowed down and Rio came to a stop just outside the door. He was just about to turn and leave when a trace of sound met his ears.  
  
...you did this. I know you did.  
  
Rio's eyes widened; it was Yu. The voice was coming from inside Yu's room, and Rio crept closer and leaned into the door to hear better.  
  
Like hell! I've been here all morning, moron! a strange voice retorted, sounding annoyed.  
  
When did she get here, Oniisama? a voice that was obviously Kazuhi's interrupted, sounding a bit less soft-spoken and passive than it usually did -- in fact, if Rio didn't know better, he would have sworn that she was getting upset. There was a pause before Yu answered them.  
  
This morning. Another pause. What do you mean, you didn't do this? Don't you eat anymore? Rio's eyes widened at the level of sarcasm in Yu's voice; not that it was especially high, but the fact that _Yu_ uttered the phrase was surprising.  
  
The strange voice (which, Rio noted, definitely belonged to a woman) gave a short, high-pitched laugh. Please. I'm not _stupid_, Yu _dearest_. I have my food with me. In vials. _Duh_. And besides, I don't think you have a reason to be jumping all over me anyway.  
  
You are the only one of... your kind up here.  
  
So? I haven't left this room all morning, trust me on this. I've been bored out of my fucking mind. The woman sighed irritably, and continued, Besides, I don't like girls anyway. Not to mention that I really don't think some little chick getting hurt has precedence over what I came here for.  
  
Rio heard Yu mutter something incomprehensible through the door, to which the woman replied, Fuck you, asshole! I don't fuckin' care if you say you don't have it, because I _know_ you do. Silver gave it to you; I fuckin' _saw_ him give it to you. You have to fuckin' give it to me!  
  
_Shit, she swears more than Garu on a bad day_, Rio thought, his eyes widening. There was a long pause before someone replied, and Rio was surprised to hear Kazuhi.  
  
Oniisama, is she talking about-  
  
Yu interrupted, successfully cutting his younger sister off. A loud bang followed the intervention, which Rio took to be the sound of a fist hitting the wall.   
  
The unknown woman made an exasperated gasp, snapping, Damn it! Tell me where the fuck it is, Yu! Or I _will_ get pissed! And I don't fucking care about your fucking swords or anything, because you know as well as I do that I can kill you pretty damned easily if I want to. You have to sleep sometime.  
  
There was a bit of a pause before Yu calmly replied, As do you.  
  
Rio could feel the tension mounting from outside the door and he shifted nervously, concerned about the situation. Unfortunately, he misread his position and his knee accidentally banged against the wall. Eyes widening, Rio jumped back just in time to see the door slide open and Yu appear in its place, his face cold and expressionless.  
  
Yu said as both a greeting and, apparently, a warning.  
  
Rio stared back at Yu, taking a moment to regain his composure. Unconsciously raising himself up to his full height (he was a good head taller than Yu, at least), Rio mentally sighed, _Just go for it. You have a right to know._ It was hard to stay nonchalant in front of Yu's penetrating glare, but Rio willed himself to do so -- he had to know the situation; he just _had_ to.  
  
I want to know what's going on, stated Rio calmly, and even he was surprised at how commanding he sounded. And I want to know _now_.  
  
  
  
  
  
The machine gave a soft sound every second or so, measuring off the heartbeats of the comatose young girl on the bed. Her face had gained back a bit of its color, though she was still unusually pale. Her hair was brushed away from her face, looking as limp and lifeless as she did. Every so often, her hand would twitch, but she hadn't woken up yet; it was horribly worrisome, especially to the boy who was sitting by the foot of her bed.  
  
It's all my fault, sniffed Roose, his arms crossed and his expression upset. I shouldn't have just let her go away. I should have realized sooner that she was hurt. I shouldn't have been so _careless_!  
  
A sigh came from beside him, and Yamagi responded (for the hundredth time, it seemed), It isn't your fault.  
  
Yes, it is!  
  
Yamagi rolled his eyes, wondering again just _why_ he had decided to come with Roose to visit Wrecka. It had seemed like a good idea at the time (wait, no, it hadn't -- he'd been bored), but now that he had spent over ten minutes with the nearly hysterical boy, Yamagi found that his patience was wearing thin. Not only did Roose completely blame himself for what had happened (which was stupid, because it wasn't like Roose had _done_ anything), but the teal-haired boy just wouldn't shut up about how Wrecka didn't _deserve_ this and how she looked so fragile just _lying_ there and... blah. It was annoying just to think about, much less have to listen to. Of course, the fact that Yamagi didn't like Wrecka in the first place wasn't helping.  
  
In any case, Yamagi was getting annoyed with the way Roose was acting and his head starting to hurt from having to listen to the teal-haired boy's self-demeaning rants. Wearily, he stated, You didn't do anything. Something hurt her. You couldn't do anything about it. Shut the fuck up, already.  
  
But she didn't deserve this! Roose replied with wide-eyed conviction, his expression so pitiful that even Yamagi felt something akin to compassion for the thin boy. The feeling was short lived, though, as Yamagi realized that Roose wasn't going to be quiet any time soon. Roose continued, She probably didn't even sense whoever it was coming. I should have gone with her, maybe I could have done something to help. Oh, Wrecka-chan, I didn't mean it-  
  
You have a smear of mascara on your cheek, Yamagi sneered, deliberately interrupting Roose so that the teal-haired boy would stop. Yamagi had found out about the makeup thing quite quickly, as Roose had completely forgotten that he was wearing it once Wrecka was hurt. Once Yamagi made a comment about it, Roose had washed it off and pleaded with the spiky-haired boy not to tell anyone else. Yamagi had agreed, though he secretly wanted to mention it to Zero so they could both laugh about it. (Clay wouldn't get it and Yamagi would be damned before telling _Hiead_ anything. Not that Hiead would care anyway.)  
  
Roose sniffed and wiped the smear from his cheekbone, but he didn't seem to notice the derogatory note in Yamagi's tone. Instead, the taller boy placed his hand on Wrecka's and patted it a few times, softly saying, I didn't mean to let you get hurt, Wrecka-chan. I didn't mean it, really. I really hope you get better soon.  
  
Yamagi sighed; in his mind, he formed a mental picture of him banging Roose's head against the wall and yelling, IT! ISN'T! YOUR! FAULT! over and over again. Of course, he wouldn't actually do something like that; not only was Roose too pathetic for Yamagi to actually want to hurt him, but banging someone's head against a wall would be something that Hiead would do -- and Yamagi despised Hiead, so he wanted to stay away from doing anything like his silver-haired teammate would. Even though the title was stretching it.  
  
Yamagi yawned, leaning against the wall as he watched Roose brush an invisible strand of Wrecka's hair away. Suddenly desperate for some conversation of _any_ kind, Yamagi asked the teal-haired boy, How did you do in the battle simulations today?  
  
Roose looked up at Yamagi, his eyes wide; Yamagi rarely spoke to him of his own initiative (even now, Yamagi had only come with Roose because Roose had practically pleaded with him to), and Roose was surprised to see that Yamagi was doing so now. There was a moment's pause before Roose answered, and when he did, he responded, The second one was bad, but the first was okay. I held out a little longer than usual.  
  
How long is that?  
  
Roose blushed slightly; the tips of his ears turned red as he replied, About two minutes. But that's better than the second time, because Zero took me out really quickly then. I was against Clay and his partner first.  
  
Yamagi cocked an eyebrow. And you _lost_? he asked incredulously, looking baffled by the mere idea of losing to Clay.  
  
His partner was good. ratified Roose, who shrugged. I tried to attack Clay, but I tripped, and by the time I got up, Clay was gone and I could see anyone. I wandered around for a few minutes before his partner found me.  
  
Yamagi smirked slightly and rolled his eyes. So in other words, you stayed alive by default.  
  
More or less, I suppose. Roose murmured, looking back down at Wrecka's still form. Without looking away, he continued, I guess it doesn't really matter that much to me. I mean, I know that you and Zero both want to be pilots badly, and you're really good, too, but, well... I'm not an athlete, really. I'm not much of a fighter, either. I'm not sure why I'm here.  
  
Yamagi listened to Roose's speech, agreeing with it but feeling a bit of pity for the boy nonetheless. Not that he cared about Roose's battle skills too much, but it would be upsetting to be in a place where you _knew_ you couldn't excel. Yamagi knew that he wouldn't like it, though for some reason, he had always thought it was different with Roose. He wasn't sure why, exactly, but for some reason, he had never thought that Roose really worried about becoming a Pilot. It was a bit disheartening to think of it, in fact.  
  
Yamagi didn't say anything in reply for a moment, but then he shrugged, muttering, I don't know. I mean, it's different for everyone, right? And at least you're better than Clay.  
  
Roose said, looking up at Yamagi and offering a smile. At least I'm better than Clay. he repeated, taking a deep breath and looking back down at Wrecka. After a moment's pause, he mentioned, I'm sorry that I got all depressing or whatever. I didn't mean to, but with Wrecka-chan being hurt and all-  
  
Shit, Roose! Yamagi snapped, his eyes narrowing, Will you shut up about Wrecka already?! I know she's hurt, I can see her. Everything isn't your fault, you know!  
  
Roose's eyes grew wide and hurt, and he turned away from Yamagi so quickly that Yamagi was surprised the teal-haired boy didn't move anything but his head. Briefly, a feeling of remorse flitted through Yamagi, but then the spiky-haired boy remembered how much whining Roose had been doing earlier and he simply frowned. Roose needed to learn how to deal with his friends getting hurt anyway; it wasn't like they lived in a sheltered area or anything. In fact, Roose probably needed to hear that.  
  
Look, Roose, Yamagi began roughly, trying not to snap at the obviously hurt boy. You shouldn't blame yourself for your friends getting injured. I mean, we're training to be _pilots_. We're going to get hurt. What if Wrecka did something like this every time _you_ were hurt? Would you like _that_?  
  
Roose was silent for a moment before softly murmuring,   
  
Then why are you doing it with _her_? Yamagi continued, exasperated. It was hard to try and reason with Roose, for the sole reason that the teal-haired boy was so compassionate about the things he felt. Not to mention that Roose didn't seem to have a selfish bone in his body, which Yamagi thought was weird; a lot people he had known before coming to GOA were greedy and only looked out for themselves.  
  
Roose began, and then faltered, not seeming to be able to explain why he was so worried. Then suddenly, a new vigor seemed to rise in him, and he exclaimed, Because she's my partner. Because I care about her! And because she's my... my friend!   
  
Roose's eyes were wide with emotion as he said this, and Yamagi got the impression that the thin boy was about to burst into tears. Yamagi was taken aback by the sudden display from Roose, surprised by the strength that Roose felt. The lavender-haired boy said nothing, something that seemed to will Roose to go on, which he did.  
  
She's my partner, Yamagi, and my friend as well, explained Roose softly as he looked Yamagi straight in the eye. Like you are my friend, and like Zero and Clay are my friends. If you were hurt, I would worry about you, too, Yamagi.  
  
Yamagi stood silent; outwardly, he was stone-cold, but inside, he was still reeling from the shock of Roose's sentiment._ I'm his... friend?_ Yamagi thought, an air of disbelief in his thoughts. Then again, of course he was Roose's friend; everyone was Roose's friend, even if the said person didn't wish to be, like Hiead. But Yamagi had tried to deter Roose's attempts to befriend him, for no other reason than the fact that the teal-haired boy was much to clingy for Yamagi's taste. It was surprising that even after Yamagi had more or less shunned him, Roose still considered Yamagi to be his friend. _Weird_.  
  
asked Roose, breaking Yamagi from his thoughts. Are you listening?  
  
muttered Yamagi, partially frowning. He didn't want Roose to know that he was thinking about what was said; he wasn't supposed to be thoughtful about silly, sentimental things like that. Yamagi stood up straighter, pushing off of the wall, and stated, I'm hungry, and it's time for lunch.  
  
I'm going to stay here, Roose said, even though he wasn't asked. Yamagi raised an eyebrow as Roose continued, I think Wrecka-chan will wake up soon.  
  
Okay. Whatever, Yamagi replied, shrugging. He turned and left the room, calling out a flippant, as he went. Once outside the medical room, Yamagi paused for a moment. A part of him was worried that if Roose didn't eat, it would be detrimental to the thin boy, but Yamagi hurriedly pushed the nagging thought aside. If Roose wanted to eat, he would. Besides, it wasn't Yamagi's fault that Roose was being stubborn and foolish.  
  
Yamagi then proceeded to walk down to the cafeteria, banishing all memory of his conversation with Roose from his mind.  
  
  
  
  
  
I'm so bored! grumbled Zero as he laid down on the artificial grass of the Relaxation Room. He was frowning, but he wasn't upset in the least -- actually, the brown-haired boy seemed to be rather pleased, if not a bit restless. It was obvious that Zero wanted to be accomplishing something other than relaxing, despite having come into the aforementioned room. Zero yawned and muttered, I wanna _do_ something.  
  
Practice is in a half an hour, murmured his blonde friend, who calmly sat down beside Zero. Maybe you should just go to sleep.  
  
Zero exclaimed, looking up at the blonde with a baffled expression on his face. I can't sleep! I want to fight! Besides, I couldn't sleep in the middle of the day even if I wanted to. Once I wake up, I have to do something!  
  
That's not surprising, was Erts' response as he looked down at Zero. His expression was thoughtful as he changed the subject, saying, You haven't eaten anything. It was more of a statement than a question, but Zero didn't seem to mind.  
  
I wasn't hungry.  
  
Erts raised an eyebrow. You _weren't_?  
  
Not really, Zero answered, rolling over to lay on his stomach and face Erts, rather than speak to his friend without seeing him. I went down to the cafeteria and everything, but once I got there, I didn't want to stay. The food looked worse than usual. _Way_ worse. And that's saying something. At this, Zero stuck out his tongue and scowled, to emphasize how horrible the food looked.  
  
Erts closed his eyes, amused at the look on Zero's face, and then opened them as he said, I ate in the cafeteria before I met up with you. It wasn't that bad.  
  
You've been here longer. You've built up a tolerance. Zero muttered, laying his head on his crossed arms, so that he was speaking towards the ground. Erts leaned forward slightly, so that he could hear the other boy, but Zero continued to speak coherently as he continued, But it doesn't matter, anyway! I hate the stuff they serve.  
  
I suppose, Erts replied calmly, pulling his knees up and wrapping his arms around them. He paused before he continued, because he wasn't sure how to ask his next question. It wasn't germane to anything they had previously said, but Erts was curious how Zero felt about what he was going to ask. Slowly, he began, What did you think about that Megumi girl this morning?  
  
Zero raised his head so that his dark eyes peered up at Erts from behind his arms, and the brown-haired boy shrugged as well as he could from his position on the ground. Zero replied, She was weird, I guess. Kind of funny looking; her clothes, I mean. She was pretty but she seemed... weird.  
  
What do you mean? questioned Erts, intrigued.  
  
Zero shrugged again. I dunno. Weird. Like, how she acted differently around Azuma and then around us. I guess I really didn't notice then, but she wasn't acting so hyper around us.  
  
You're right, she wasn't. Erts supported, nodding. He was slightly surprised at how perceptive Zero had been, but once he thought about it, Erts realized that he had no reason to be; Zero wasn't stupid, nor unobservant. His personality made him seem less clever that he really was sometimes, though Erts knew better than to judge by outward appearance alone. Especially with Zero.  
  
And I could tell that you didn't like her, Zero continued, slightly bewildering Erts with his comment. Erts raised his eyebrows; he didn't know that Zero had suspected his discomfort. Zero, seeing Erts' expression, merely grinned cheekily and said, I knew you didn't. You were all cold around her. Well, not cold, really. But you spoke to her, which probably meant that you either really liked her or really didn't, and I don't think you liked her.  
  
I didn't, Erts admitted, interested with Zero's insight. It wasn't often that Zero showed his deeper side, though it was becoming more apparent to Erts that Zero noticed more things than he let on. Not that Erts was upset about this; it was quite the opposite, in fact. Erts was pleased that Zero had noticed the change in his behavior. Usually, people didn't pay enough attention to notice. Realizing this, Erts nearly smiled; obviously, Zero cared enough about him to realize when he was upset, even though Erts didn't often show his emotions.  
  
Yeah, I knew you didn't, Zero continued. He had rested his head on his arms again, so he didn't noticed Erts' inquisitive expression fade slowly into a pensive one. Zero muttered, But if we didn't help her we wouldn't have been able to go to GIS, and I wanted to.  
  
We didn't really get to go to GIS, you know -- you weren't authorized. We were only able to see her to the entrance. Besides, you didn't know that she was looking for a Pilot when you started talking to her. Erts reminded him, raising an eyebrow at his brown-haired friend, though he knew Zero couldn't see his slightly reproving expression.  
  
She started talking to me, not the other way around, corrected Zero, who lifted his head and rest his chin on his forearms. Besides, I wanted to know why she was here. New people don't show up often.  
  
Unless you count the new candidates.  
  
New OLDER people, Zero amended, and furthermore, we never really see the new kids until they show up at practice anyway. It doesn't count.  
  
Erts responded quietly, taking in Zero's assessment.  
  
Zero sat up, casually stretching his arms out over his head. After he did so, he looked at Erts and asked, What do you think happened to Wrecka, anyway?  
  
Erts paused for a moment before answering. Taking a breath, Erts responded, I'm not sure, exactly. I've heard that she was bitten by something, though, so maybe she was poisoned.  
  
All she had was two little bite things, though, Zero debated, frowning. Then, his expression growing pensive, Zero asked, Do you think it could have been a dart or something? I mean, Roose didn't see anything, but he probably didn't think to look, either, what with his dear _Wrecka-chan_ lying there and all...  
  
The bathrooms at GOA are small, though. He probably would have seen someone if they were there.  
  
Yeah, but what else could it have been? asked Zero, crossing his legs and casting a thoughtful gaze at the ground. Absently, he pulled a few strands of artificial grass from the floor. I mean, what kind of person would BITE someone and make em faint? Well, I could see Hiead doing the whole vicious biting' thing, but _still_. And it had to have been a person, cause we don't have any animals on GOA. Again, minus Hiead.  
  
Erts, used to Zero ragging on Hiead and not exactly upset about him doing so, didn't acknowledge Zero's comments about the white-haired menace. Instead, he took a moment to collect his thoughts before venturing, Actually, I once heard about an ancient legend that almost seems to fit this scenario...  
  
Zero asked, forgetting about the grass and looking up at Erts, intrigued. What is it?  
  
Well, I'm not sure how much truth is behind it. From what I could tell, it was considered a legend for a long time, even back in the ancient days. Erts began, a bit startled by the scrutiny of Zero's gaze. One of my uncles told me about it, and he was kind of... odd, I suppose you could say. He was fascinated by the ancient world, but I always received the impression that he was elaborating.  
  
Zero shrugged. So? You're uncle was weird.  
  
Well, no, not really, Erts replied, though Zero did seem to have a point. But anyway, he told be about these creatures that could only move during the nighttime. They drank blood to survive, and they had fangs which they'd use to suck it out of unsuspecting humans. Apparently, they're immortal, but something holy could kill them for good, I think. I don't remember what they were called, though.  
  
Something _holy_? Zero repeated, a bewildered expression on his face. What does that mean, anyway?  
  
I'm not sure, admitted Erts. I always thought that it was just a made-up story. I think my uncle said a crucifix, but those were just objects in an Old World religion, I believe. In any case, I doubt the legend was true.  
  
Zero's eyes brightened, responding, Yeah, maybe whoever attacked Wrecka knew the same story that you did, and they thought it would be cool to attack like that. You know, like they were borrowing the battle plan or whatever.  
  
Erts trailed off, noting the sense in Zero's idea. It seemed like a logical explanation to the oddity of the aforementioned attack, though it didn't explain why the person struck in the first place. Perhaps it was just a deranged candidate, which -- shown by the fact that Hiead was enlisted -- wasn't too unlikely.  
  
Zero muttered, standing up. I'm getting hungry now -- goin' to go see if I can still get lunch, despite its' utter grossness. Do you want to come?  
  
Erts abruptly snapped out of his musing and stood up as well, though he replied, No, I need to speak with Rome about the last battle simulation. We have joint practices today, right?  
  
Zero confirmed, smiling and pumping his fist. And I get to go up against Yamagi this time, which will be interesting.  
  
All right, Erts smiled, knowing that Zero was happier because Yamagi would prove to be a better opponent than Roose had been earlier.  
  
The two candidates made their way out of the Relaxation room and started down the hall. They separated at the corner, because Erts needed to get a few things from his room before seeing Rome.  
  
Grinning, Zero said, Seeya' in about ten minutes, Erts!  
  
All right, Erts replied with a half-smile. Zero turned and made his way down the hall, nodding a greeting to another candidate that he apparently knew. Erts watched him for a moment before heading toward his room, intent on retrieving what he needed so that he would have enough time to discuss the battle statistics with Rome before the simulation began.  
  
Unbeknownst to Erts, something was watching him as he reached his room and entered it. The creature watched, its eyes narrowed, as it licked its lips hungrily. It had been awhile since it had eaten last...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
***  
And yes, that last cliffhanger was for all Erts fans/devotees/xZero fans. Mwhaa~. (I'm looking at you, Kay-san.)


	5. Part 4

_**Notes**: Okay, so I haven't updated this story in nearly two years. Erm. Well, I'm revisiting it, so anyone who still remembers it – heh, that's a laugh – can give a vague appreciative noise or something. Eheheh. It works._

Couplings: The focus will be more on RioxPhil and ZeroxErts than any others. But that's saying a lot, considering the focus on those two couples won't be much anyway.

Main Characters: Yu, Rioroute, Kazuhi, Phil, Zero, Erts, and the other candidates. And the other pilots. And a bunch of other people. ^_^ And Megumi, that royal bitch of an original character.

Warnings: Creepy little demon things. Irritated!Yu. Glowing!Zero. And ReallySuperFuckingConfused!Rioroute. ^_^ And Erts torture. Sob.

Disclaimer: I want to say something like, "I'll own Megami Kouhosei when Hell freezes over!", but according to Dante, the seventh layer of Hell IS frozen over, so... BAH! *throws confetti, and runs away while everyone is distracted*

  
  


Nighttime Demons

Rioroute was seated on Yu's bed, looking at the smaller boy with a blank expression on his face. Yu was standing by the door – apparently having learned his lesson with Rioroute, and now actively making sure of their privacy – while Kazuhi knelt on the floor near him. Seated on a chair across the room from them, the blonde-haired woman – Megumi, she had said her name was – was staring at Rio with an oddly interested gaze.

"So..." Rio murmured, trying to fit what he had just learned into his frame of reference. "You're saying that this... Megumi girl–" Rio gestured towards the blonde, "–is actually some kind of demon?"

"A vampire," Yu corrected, nodding once.

Rio blinked, frowning slightly. "Are we talking a 'demon' like Victim, or something else?" Now that he thought about it, Rio didn't even know whether the Victim were actually demonic or not. It made an odd amount of sense, but now that he had been confronted with a _real_ demon, Rio wasn't so sure that he should categorize things so broadly.

"It's something else," Yu replied, glancing coldly at Megumi, who rolled her eyes. Yu shifted his gaze back to Rio, continuing, "But that doesn't matter. I told you this so you wouldn't ask unnecessary questions about Megumi's existence here, but beyond that, this doesn't concern you."

"What?" Rio gaped, startled by the sudden dismissal. "Like hell it doesn't concern me, Yu! I live here, too, and if there's a _demon_ here, I think I want to know why."

"Why are you getting so fucking bent out of shape about this?" Megumi cut in suddenly, raising one eyebrow curiously. "I'm not here for long. Just until Yu gives up the medallion I want, and then I am out of here. This place fucking sucks."

"_What_ medallion?" Rio asked, looking at Yu. "And _how_ the hell do you know this bitch, anyway?"

"Oh, fuck you–"

"It doesn't _matter_ what medallion she's talking about, or how I know her," answered Yu coldly, glaring back at Rio. "You have no place in this, and I have no urge to involve you any further than you already are."

"What if I want to get involved?" Rio shot back, glowering harshly at Yu before noticing Kazuhi edging backwards in trepidation; he caught himself and relaxed a bit before continuing. "You can't stop me from trying to help you, and you can't say I don't have any place in worrying about you. I mean, shit, Yu, you and I aren't friends, but we _are_ teammates."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Yu asked, his voice low and cold, reminding Rio disturbingly of a sword's blade.

Rio crossed his arms, frowning as he replied, "It _means_ that if you're having nightmares and fainting in the middle of training sessions, I have the right to be concerned. You have to fight in battle, which means helping _me_. And that means–"

"Wait a second," Megumi interrupted, jumping to her feet as she cut Rioroute off abruptly. She turned to glare at Yu, snapping, "What's this about nightmares? You said you didn't have any idea about what has been happening!"

"I _don't_–" Yu began, but Megumi wouldn't accept it.

"You do!" she hissed, "You know exactly what's going on, and you've been lying to me!"

"Lying about what?" Rio asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. Neither one listened.

"I did not _lie_, Megumi," Yu replied simply. "I have no knowledge of what has occurred."

"Oh, bullshit!" Megumi cried, stepping towards Yu. Kazuhi scuttled quietly out of the way, hiding herself from the enraged "demon" by using Yu as a shield. Yu shifted so the younger girl was effectively covered, as Megumi continued to rant, "Those dreams are premonitions, you asshole, and you know that as well as I do. How could you just _ignore_ them? You could have stopped this, but _ no_, you had to ignore the signs and hoard the medallion and make _me_ come after you!"

"What is going on?" Rioroute questioned, edging backwards a bit from the obviously angry girl. Yu, to his credit, hadn't backed away at all, and the only sign that he was at all affected by Megumi's sudden outburst was a slight narrowing of his eyes. Rio was annoyed by the lack of response by either person – as they were both too concerned with arguing with each other to pay attention to him –, and he turned to Kazuhi. "Ne, Kazuhi, what are they talking about?"

Kazuhi looked at Rio from behind her brother, her eyes wide with anxiety and apology. "I am not entirely sure, Rioroute-san. B-but Oniisama is right; it is not right for you to be involved in this." In the background, Megumi continued to snarl at Yu, who replied tightly in return, but Rio had stopped paying attention to them.

"It's not right?" Rio asked incredulously, surprised at Kazuhi's response. "I already _am_ involved."

Kazuhi looked at the ground, and Rio could barely hear the next thing she said. Despite being very quiet – which was exacerbated by the loudness exerted by Megumi –, Rio heard Kazuhi murmur, "You are not entirely involved, Rioroute-san. Oniisama is only trying to protect you."

Rioroute gaped momentarily, unsure if he had heard correctly. "What was that?" he asked gently, noticing Kazuhi's nervousness again and trying his best not to make her scared of him. But at the same time, Rio's mind was whirling with all that he had just heard, and the last bit was equally as confusing. Yu was trying to _protect_ him? How did _that_ work out?

But Rio wasn't able to ask again, nor was Kazuhi able to respond, because at that exact moment, both Yu and Megumi fell disturbingly silent. Yu's eyes narrowed into slits and Megumi's expression grew distant; Rioroute was surprised to note that the blonde girl was actually kind of pretty – in a scary sort of way – when she wasn't screaming at someone.

Yu hissed, "They're here."

"Oh, shit," Megumi agreed.

And suddenly, they were rushing to the door, leaving Rio and Kazuhi to watch, startled, as they simultaneously moved to exit. Rio abruptly jumped up and rushed after them, not caring to note if Kazuhi followed him or not. He needed to know what was going on, Yu be damned.

  
  
  
______________________  
  


Erts had been just about to leave his room when he first felt a strange presence settle in the back of his mind. It wasn't particularly disconcerting, just... abnormal. And so he had paused, just enough to mentally prod at the newcomer, to try and get a feel for what exactly the thing was.

He abruptly received an odd mental image, along with a rush of intense emotion; the sensation nearly made him faint, as overwhelmed as he was by the force of it, but that wasn't what made his expression grow fearful. Rather, it was the sensations he felt: hunger. The urge to kill. The urge to _eat_.

And then Erts figured out what the odd mental image was: it was a view of _ himself_, from the ceiling just above his head.

Erts worked this out in a split second, in just enough time to dodge to the side as the... _creature_ dove down at him. A claw caught on Erts' shirt, ripping through the loose fabric easily, but Erts paid it no mind; instead, the blond boy scrambled away from whatever it was that attacked him, trying to get into a suitable attack position. Gasping for breath as he righted himself, Erts turned to find out just what had come at him.

Just in front of a doorway, a decently sized creature crouched on the ground, a pair of bony wings jutting out from its back and bent slightly. Its face protruded at the snout, giving a clear view of large, vicious teeth, and its eyes were sunken inwards; that combined with its murky greenish-brown skin gave it somewhat of a rotted look, despite the tightness of its skin. Its hands and feet were claws, which sprouted into sharp, dangerous-looking nails. At that instant, it turned to glare at Erts; suddenly, another wave of emotion hit the blonde boy: anger. Specifically, Erts noted, anger at losing its prey.

Erts' eyes widened as the creature leapt again, this time aiming straight for Erts' head. Erts dodged as quickly as he could, but couldn't avoid an injury this time: one of the creature's sharp claws caught him in the shoulder and tore into his skin. Erts couldn't help screaming as the nails ripped into his shoulder deep enough to scratch the bone, causing blood to well up dramatically in the gouges. Erts spun away from the creature and rammed headfirst into the wall, hissing in pain.

Down the hall, a young boy tensed up and turned around immediately, his eyes wide; Zero instantly ran back the way he came, hair beginning to stand on end.

Erts had no time to readjust himself as he felt the creature's presence coming at him again. At once, the blonde boy dodged to the right, feeling a rush of air as another strike of claws narrowly missed gouging into his side. The creature slammed into the wall, and Erts felt another wave of intense anger. Try as he might, however, Erts couldn't get a readout on anything other than emotion from the thing. It was as if the creature had no thoughts whatsoever beyond pure primal instinct, though the clear displays of anger were strange.

There was no point in thinking about this now, however. The blow into the wall had left the creature a bit disoriented, and before it could recover, Erts leapt back towards his desk and grabbed a hold of his chair, which was the first movable object he could get a grip on. The creature hissed and got up, turning around to find its prey, but Erts was moving before that – he smashed the chair down on the creature's head as soon as it had turned to face him. Immediately afterwards, Erts dashed for the door, knowing full well that he wasn't going to win this fight.

Unfortunately, the blow to the head didn't affect the creature as much as the smash into the wall had, and Erts had barely gotten two feet before he sensed the creature approaching him again. There was no avoiding this time; Erts could only widen his eyes in panic as he felt a pair of claws dig into his back while teeth tore into his side. And suddenly, he was falling, and the world was being shrouded in a wave of red, and the door was opening...

It was at that moment that Zero arrived on the scene, his hair defying gravity and glowing oddly; he opened the door just in time to see Erts fall to the ground, blood soaking his clothes from seemingly everywhere, and a strange, horrific creature perched on his back, attacking him. It was strange, how everything seemed to pause for a moment as Zero took it all in, and the creature looked up to see just what had interrupted its feeding. And then, everything went white.

Zero couldn't quite remember what happened, when he was asked afterwards, but after the light had died down, he found himself on the floor, slumped against the wall. A boy with spiky blonde hair and concerned brown eyes was saying something to him, while another dark-haired boy examined a strange, smoking mass on the other side of the room. A familiar-looking blonde woman hovered over the dark-haired boy's shoulder, and another girl knelt beside a limp figure covered in blood...

"Erts!" Zero gasped suddenly, recognizing the boy on the ground. The person in front of him jerked in shock, but grabbed onto his arms.

"Hey, hey," the spiky-haired boy said, trying to calm Zero down. "Just chill for a second here while–"

"I'm not going to chill!" snapped Zero, pulling free of the older boy's grasp. "Erts! Erts! Shit, he's hurt–"

"He'll be fine!" Spiky-hair insisted, trying to keep Zero from moving. "A doctor is coming right now, he's going to be fine–"

"Like _hell_ he is!" Zero snarled, pushing the boy away. "Let me go!" Finally, he was able to shove past the bigger boy, and he immediately rushed to Erts' side. Once he arrived, kneeling near his friend, Zero felt his face paling. Erts' uniform was soaked in blood, which was still dripping onto a growing puddle on the floor. His shoulder was torn through to the bone, and his side was equally as ripped into, albeit more spread out. Erts' eyes were closed, his face pallid and his breathing shallow. Zero, for the life of him, couldn't see in any way how Erts could be "fine." Instantly, he turned to glare at Spiky-hair, who was now sitting next to him.

"What do you mean, he's going to be fine?!" snapped Zero irritably, his shoulders tense. He couldn't lose Erts, not now, when they had _finally_ become friends and Zero felt like he was beginning to trust the blonde boy. "He's bleeding to death!" It was horrible to say those words, and Zero knew it, but the only thing he could really feel was a growing sense of anger, though at whom, exactly, Zero wasn't clear on just yet.

"The doctor should be here in a moment," Spiky-hair explain plainly, trying to pacify Zero. "They'll take him to the infirmary and patch him up, and he should be fine. He's not losing blood that quickly."

Zero didn't say anything as he continued to glower menacingly at the older boy, though he did feel his hair begin to stand on end again.

"Hey, now!" Spiky-hair was starting to look annoyed. "Kill it with the EX, would you? I'm here to help you, _and_ your friend there, you got that?" The boy blinked a moment, and then looked away, "Ne, Kazuhi, do you need my shirt for more cloth?" Zero suddenly noticed the young girl kneeling alongside Erts, who was pressing a couple blood-soaked cloths against Erts' shoulder and side.

Without waiting for a response, Spiky-hair took off his shirt and moved to help Kazuhi subdue the bleeding. It allowed for the dark-haired girl to focus solely on Erts' side, while Spiky-hair attended to the wounded shoulder. Zero felt kind of helpless; he couldn't move as he just continued staring at his friend's limp form. It took a moment for Zero to realize that he was probably going into shock or something, and then he tried his best to shake it off. Erts was going to be okay. Spiky-hair said so. Which brought upon another question.

"Who are you?" Zero asked finally, noticing that his hair had stopped hovering. For some reason, Spiky-hair looked kind of familiar, but Zero couldn't quite place him.

"I'm Rioroute Vilgyna," answered the older boy, looking up from his task by Erts' shoulder. "Pilot of Agui-Keameia. That's Kazuhi Hikura, a repairer for Tellia-Kallisto." Zero gaped slightly at this, eyes going wide, though Rioroute didn't seem to notice. "The kid over there is Yu Hikura, Tellia-Kallisto's pilot, and that girl is some bitch named Megumi that showed up the other day."

Zero could only reply, surprise clear in his voice, "You're _pilots_?" Then, after a pause, he added, "What are you doing on GOA? And in Erts' room?"

Rio raised one eyebrow appreciatively. "You're quick. As for your questions... I really don't know. I just followed Yu here. He's the one who went all freaky over the whole thing. And then we got here, and a damned good thing we did, too, 'cause this kid was bleeding like anything, and you were doing some sort of weird glowing trick. And whatever it was that attacked this kid – Erts, you said? – was melting or something in the corner."

Zero took in all of the information with a nod of his head, blinking a few times to try and clear his mind. Catching what Rio had said, Zero turned halfway to look at the corner, where he could see (and smell) a distinct strain of smoke, though he couldn't see what was causing it very well. His view was blocked by a lean, small dark-haired boy – Yu Hikura, Zero figured – and a curvy-looking blonde...

"It's you!" Zero said, startled. It was the girl that he and Erts had shown to GIS, the one who had struck Erts as wrong, and who had annoyed Zero after awhile.

Megumi turned, glancing over her shoulder at the surprised boy on the floor. She gave him an intrigued look, and replied, "You're the kid that showed me around."

The dark-haired boy, Yu, looked at her oddly and raised an eyebrow at Zero.

"Er – yeah," Zero answered, a bit put off by the blunt comment. "Why are _ you_ here? Again, that is."

Megumi ignored him, looking at Yu. "It _could_ just be a coincidence." Yu narrowed his eyes but looked away, turning his attention back towards the smoldering lump on the floor.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" Zero wasn't one to be ignored, especially when he was finding out information on just _what_ had happened to his friend.

"It's not like this thing was after me or anything," Megumi continued, muttering to Yu. "They can't be trained so easily, and I'm not the best of prey, if you–"

"Hey!" Zero snapped again, standing up. He would be damned if he was going to allow her to blow off his question like that, especially since it was _Erts_ would had gotten hurt because of whatever that smoking thing was.

Unfortunately, Zero wasn't able to insist on Megumi's attention, because the door slid open, and around five medical officers entered the room. Suddenly, the entire place was in an uproar, as the staff caught sight of Erts' bloodied body and swarmed beside him, pushing Rioroute, Kazuhi and Zero out of the way. Zero tried his best to watch what they were doing, but found he could see through the bodies. He turned away, just in time to see a dim flash of light.

Zero blinked; where the smoking lump had been, there was now clean flooring. It was completely gone.

"What the–?" Zero asked, frowning. "Where'd that thing go?"

The only person to listen to him was Rioroute, who turned to him and simply shrugged. "I have no idea," he answered. Somewhat offhandedly, he added, "It's becoming a familiar feeling."

All Zero could do at that moment was be grateful for his physical stamina, because he was positive that he would have fainted without it.

  
  
  
___________________________________________________  
  


Kuro tapped his hand on his desk almost nervously, looking perplexed as he studied the computer screen in front of him. Just behind him, the lithe figure of Teela stood, one hand on his shoulder and a serene expression on her face. She was comforting. More so than Kuro would ever allow from anyone else, at the very least, but Teela was special.

"What have you found?" the beautiful woman asked. To anyone else, she would seem cold or distant, but Kuro could only sense the warmth of her concerned words.

"I'm not sure," admitted Kuro. "The girl, Wrecka Toesing, who was attacked was hardly wounded at all, simply drained of blood. But now Erts Virny Cocteau has been attacked, and brutally wounded. It doesn't piece together."

The room they were in was dark, and they were the only occupants. The sole source of light emitted from the computer screen. Both Kuro and Teela were shaded in an eerie blue-white glow from the monitor. On the screen, the most recent news from the medical center on GOA was displayed, and a report on the condition of the wounded Candidate was the latest bit added.

Teela paused a moment before pointing out, "No assailants were found in either case. And both involved a large amount of blood loss."

"That's not enough to connect them," Kuro argued quietly. "They both happened on the same day, too, which startles me. I didn't think our security had become so lax."

"It isn't," Teela murmured. "I do not think we are dealing with a normal invader."

Kuro turned to look at his lovely companion, questions clear in his expression. Teela was staring at the computer screen with an odd mixture of confusion, wisdom and sadness adorning her face. Kuro blinked, unsure of how to interpret this.

"There is another connection," Teela said finally. Her expression was still strange.

"I have not seen it," Kuro told her, placing one hand atop her own. Teela's expression turned calmer, and when she looked down at him, Kuro could see that she was watching him warmly. But she still wasn't smiling.

"Both of these children are connected to the One," Teela confirmed, turning her eyes back to the screen. "And to the Other. The two who share my EX."

There was a long moment of silence before Kuro could adequately explain his reaction to this new information.

"Well," he agreed, eyebrows raising, "I suppose this changes everything."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


***

TBC...

I hope that was enjoyable. But, on that note, I'm sorry for taking such a long break from this story – I had abandoned it, kind of, but the other day I was looking through my old stories, and on a whim, decided I wanted to continue this. I didn't even have my old computer – my family got rid of it, because it was broken –, so I didn't have anything that I had already written for this chapter. Which, really, was a good thing. I was able to start anew (and I personally like what I have here better than the stuff I had before.)

So, I do plan on continuing this. (Especially since I now have an entirely new direction to run with. Heheh.) Any suggestions, criticisms, or general smacking for being gone too long are more than welcome. ^_~ I hope you review! 


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